CREAL. Centre for research in environmental epidemiology

TAPAS concludes its data collection from 30 volunteers

Monday, December 12th, 2011

This month the TAPAS project has completed the process of data collection and now begins the process of evaluating them, in order to know how active transport can improve health. The hypothesis is that cycling for less contaminated sites, as near the sea, is more beneficial than to do it near a busy street with much traffic, but in any way is still more beneficial to health than doing no exercise.

In this phase of this TAPAS subproject have participated 30 volunteers from February until late November that basically pedaled above Ronda Litoral and promenade in Barceloneta for two hours with breaks every 15 minutes. Later the volunteers were examinated through medical tests to see what differences were detected between exercise in a contaminated area and the other without much pollution.

Mainly three people were responsible for carrying out this work. The research technician Laura Bouso handled the transfer and assembled the necessary tools and equipment for the field work. She also took care of measuring the location pollution. The technician Gloria Carrasco and Nadine Kubesch, a predoctoral researcher, conducted the "monitoring" of health. This refers to measures of lung function, heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure and blood draws, especially before and after exposure.

TAPAS website