Chronic exposure to inhaled, traffic-related nitrogen dioxide and a blunted cortisol response in adolescents

In adolescents, we found that increased, chronic exposure to NO2 and the mixture of pollutants from traffic sources was associated with a flattened diurnal slope of cortisol, a marker of an abnormal cortisol response which we hypothesize may be a mechanism through which air pollution may affect respiratory function and asthma in adolescents.