Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disease characterized by progressive airflow obstruction and destruction of lung parenchyma that was the fifth most common cause of death worldwide in 2001, and that it expected to rise to 3rd place by 2030. Whereas tobacco smoking is regarded as the principal risk factor for the development of COPD, 25–45% of patients with COPD have never smoked.

Furthermore, recent studies showed that exposure to other environmental contaminants plays an important role in this disease, particularly in intensive and frequent exposure scenarios, such as occupational and indoor exposures. Thus, studies on the association between COPD and other risk factors are essential. In this line of thought several studies on the association of COPD and occupational exposures have been performed over the last years. However, household and indoor exposures did not receive the same degree of attention by the scientific community, even though most people tend to spend the vast majority of their time indoors (about 80%) and that 2/3 of that time is spent at home.Hence, studies on the distribution of environmental contaminants in the indoor environment alongside with studies on the levels of those contaminants in human samples are of great importance. With this project, levels of selected environmental contaminants (metals and organometals) will be assessed in environmental and biological samples obtained from volunteers (with and without COPD), their households and whenever possible their surroundings in order to unravel possible associations.

Our ultimate goal is to identify risks factors for the development and progression of COPD and ultimately to promote health.