A hot topic for urban dwellers is exhaust emissions from diesel cars. Specifically the debate, centres on NOX emissions and various figures for the number of premature deaths resulting from their inhalation: The Guardian reports 38,000 globally die each year but are not specific as to whether this is due to NOX from diesel cars or more generally from particulate or hydrocarbon inhalation concomitant with car use.
The good bad and ugly of exhaust emissions often, usually get conflated. First up, particulates, especially the fine particulates are bad, potentially very bad. Larger visible particles from inefficient combustion (soot) will damage lungs and exacerbate all pulmonary disorders but the very fine, near invisible particles can penetrate the blood brain barrier and even damage mitochondrial function. Particles such as these are as much a function of wear on the modern ‘safe’ fat, soft tyres as of they are of exhaust pipes which have particulate filters fitted. But what about NOX?
NOX stands for the oxides of nitrogen, it’s unfortunate that NOX sounds like noxious for memetically this is a very potent thematic link to its deprecation. The oxides of nitrogen from exhaust emissions are N2O, NO and NO2 , traditionally called nitrous oxide, nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide respectively. N2O is a potent ozone depleting gas which persists in atmosphere for over a hundred years until photochemically oxidised to NO. NO2 is a choking dense brown gas which dissolves in water to form nitrous acid and ultimately to nitrites and nitrates.
This brings us to NO, nitric oxide, NO is the primary nitrogen oxide of exhaust emissions1. And here’s the thing … nitric oxide is good for you! The list of good stuff is long and varied so here are three of the best.
The ancient Egyptians were famed for their extensive use of Kohl ( galena based) around the eyes of men and women. They had good medical reasons for doing so, the local release of NO would have made good use of its anti-bacterial properties reducing eye infections and parasitism in a region where this was an endemic health risk. Bringing the story up to date 2017 saw the release of a nitric oxide based cream for treating psoriasis. The list of topical applications of nitric oxide in treating skin diseases from eczema to acne is long.
Nitric oxide has important internal biological signalling functions. Nitric oxide causes large vessel vasodilation naturally in the body improving circulation generally and which has encouraged the sports community to explore its potential in performance enhancement ( before it’s banned I guess).
Nitric oxide appears to be one of, if not the major signalling factor in mitochondrial biogenesis2. New, young mitochondria are the holy grail of the aging research community as has been mentioned many times before in this blog
You will get the idea by now. We should be looking at urban populations for better skin, athletic performance and longevity, all down to nitric oxide from the modern diesel engine … if the particulates don't get them first, even electric cars have tires.
- http://jcs.biologists.org/content/119/14/2855
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