MSC - Spokespeople

Jeff Brook

Spokesperson for:

• Urban air quality
• Airborne particulate pollution
• Exposure and human health

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When Jeff Brook completed his Ph.D studies in Air Pollution Meteorology at the University of Michigan in 1991, he went straight to work as a Research Scientist for the Air Quality Research Branch. His work involves the study of smog, focusing on urban air quality and particulate air pollution. This serves as a basis for his exploration into exposure and human health effects. Dr. Brook recently published a key paper on how breathing particulate matter and ozone, two common ingredients in smog, effects the human cardiovascular system. This work appeared in the medical journal "Circulation" and shows that breathing those pollutants causes human arteries to constrict slightly. This type of response may be hazardous to people with ongoing cardiovascular problems, but not to most healthy people.

Dr. Brook is currently investigating airborne particulate pollutants, which are usually small enough in diameter to be less than 2.5 or 10 micron. According to him, the tiny size and chemical make-up of the 2.5 micron particles makes that pollutant particularly dangerous as they penetrate far down into the lower respiratory system. In addition to their health effects, Dr. Brook has conducted a range of studies, Canada-wide, aimed at determining which sources are most responsible for emitting the particles and how much of it travels long distances, perhaps crossing the Canada-U.S. border. He carries out much of his work in collaboration with partners at Canadian and U.S. Universities, Health Canada and multiple groups within Environment Canada.

The Green Lane^TM,
Environment Canada's World Wide Web Site.