Heart rate variability and particulate exposure in vehicle maintenance workers: a pilot study.

The association between occupational exposure to PM(2.5) and heart rate variability was investigated in a repeated measures, longitudinal study of vehicle maintenance workers occupationally exposed to automobile emissions. Five subjects were monitored for occupational exposure to fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) on 6 workdays using an aerosol photometer, validated with side-by-side sampling with a gravimetric method. End-of-day heart rate variability statistics were derived using short-term electrocardiogram recordings for each participant. Workplace carbon monoxide and outdoor, ambient fine particulate matter were also monitored. Regression statistics were used to investigate associations between same-day PM(2.5) levels and heart rate variability statistics using mixed-effects multiple regression of pooled data. No statistically significant associations were observed between occupational PM(2.5) and measures of heart rate variability. A statistically significant increase in total spectral power was associated with ambient PM(2.5) (p < 0.05). The data suggest a threshold below which no degradation in cardiac autonomic control of healthy workers occurs when challenged by occupational PM(2.5) exposure. This study was limited in population, exposure level, and type of particulate exposures. Additional studies are recommended on broader occupational populations.