A new study has revealed the extensive and prolonged exposure to the high chemical levels that are found in exhaust fumes of motor vehicles and other industrial pollutants, can lead to hospitalization due to acute pneumonia among the elderly population.

Led by researchers at the McMaster University in Hamilton, the study's main aim was to evaluate the effects of "long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide" released from automobiles and "fine particulate matter" that is found in industrial air pollution.

"We compared people over the age of 65 who were admitted to hospital for community-acquired pneumonia to randomly selected people from the same community who did not have pneumonia. And what we found was that individuals who developed community-acquired pneumonia were more likely to have long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide (from vehicle exhaust) and they were twice more likely to be hospitalized", explained lead researcher Dr. Mark Loeb.

Dr. Loeb is a specialist in infectious diseases at the McMaster institute.

As many as 365 older adults were considered for the sake of the study, and conclusions were drawn based on the data collected. All the subjects had been hospitalized with pneumonia.

The study is all set to be published in the January 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.