Biking, Is it Really Better for Your Health?
Photo Credit: Gideon Tsang
As an avid biker, I’ve always assumed that riding was a better option than driving for many reasons. I avoid the morning traffic, I don’t worry about finding a parking spot, and have the pleasure of getting my recommended thirty minutes of exercise a day. I also feel good about being green. However, a recent study by Hasselt University in Belgium has made me think twice.
It came as a bit of a surprise that cyclists are exposed to more pollutants than drivers on the same road. The study was conducted by equipping cyclists and drivers with devices that measured and compared the number of nanoparticles inhaled in the corresponding amount of time.
Using a pre-determined route, it was found that cyclists inhaled, on average, four to five times as many carcinogenic particles than drivers. Of course this number is expected, due to the fact that cyclists are directly exposed to the elements and inhale more air at high levels of exertion, according to the study approximately 1000 cubic cm of air each breath. This translates into tens of millions of these nanoparticles, so small that wearing a mask would be futile, passing into a cyclists system with each breath.
The trouble is making a clear connection between these high nanoparticle exposure levels and their perceived effects, mainly heart disease and lung cancer. With the lack of studies concerning the connection between these inhalants and their effects, more must be done to establish a clear link between these nanoparticles and disease.
Though this news may be troubling for some, I still believe the benefits of biking outweigh the risks. This study, which focused on riding within an urban metropolis, fails to accurately depict and incorporate the various landscapes where cyclists may be found, specifically urban and rural areas.
When compared to a smaller town, the study showed that pollutants dropped from 5.58million particles inhaled per meter to 1.1 million particles per meter.
Of course it will be some time before scientists can prove a definitive link between increased exposure and disease. There are a lot of things in the environment that are hazardous to our health, but worrying about all of them will only make things worse.
But next time you ride, don’t forget to wear a helmet.
For the full article about this recent study see The Times.
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I was just talking about this with a buddy the other day, I couldn’t agree more with some of your points. I would like to add your feed to my biker site but cannot find it, do you have one available? I will return later for your reply. Thanks a bunch!
Hey Horacio,
Thanks for visiting the site and the great compliment! I apologize for the belated response. This time of year is getting pretty busy with papers and finals approaching, so I’ve regrettably put some things by the waist-side.
In regards to your comment, I certainly feel the public needs to recognize the environmental consequences and health effects that are out there. While we try to keep our articles positive here at ThinkGreenLiveClean, I’ll work to incorporate more about these relatively unknown impacts in future articles. As an avid biker (motorized and non), I’ll also be putting more information up about local biking events and actions people can take to generate awareness in their communities.
For the RSS Feed, I think there should be a button up in your url box to link your site to this. If not, I’ll get in touch with the web designer and I’m sure we can figure something out.
Best Regards,
Zack