Has there ever been any study on the amount of particulate matter/pollution you inhale while riding a motorcycle on the highways, especially during heavy traffic?

This is something that somewhat concerns me.  I notice after hard days of riding the highways, I will hock up dusty looking phlegm.  I notice the dust build up on the helmet, jacket, etc. after months of riding.

Seeing how filthy a car's air filter gets after driving 20,000 miles, even though your lungs don't move nearly as many cfms as a car engine, they have had to have inhaled a good amount of dust (brake dust, pavement dust, tire dust, car exhaust, diesel exhaust, etc.)

Is this a valid concern?  Enough to wear a dust mask while riding, no matter how stupid/paranoid you look?

You're gonna die. Dibs on your guns and ammo.

Think about all the asbestos dust you are breathing.
Every car and truck on the road today has a set of brakes behind every wheel.

Tractor trailers are especially bad... as they don't generally have brake backing plates to contain most of the brake/asbestos dust.

Obama will save ya.....

interesting question.. no wonder VW (and others, I'm sure) have a cabin air filter that needs periodic changing.

just don't breathe in the bugs.

Never had that problem with a full face helmet.  

I rode round trip from Tucson to San Diego this past week/weekend.  Dust was blowing in the desert outside of Yuma.  I wasn't having any problems.  I find that some of the dirtiest air has been in hospitals that I have worked in...........


FYI, asbestos hasn't been used in brake material for many years...........

My face feels horrible to a point of scraping crud off my skin after some rides here in Florida. Im sure some of the ended up in my lungs.

Quoted: Never had that problem with a full face helmet.

I wear a full face helmet.  The dust blows in through the vent and from under the chin area.  It's a Shoei RF-1000.

YOu are going to die of something.  Why die healthy?

Quoted: Quoted: Never had that problem with a full face helmet.   I wear a full face helmet.  The dust blows in through the vent and from under the chin area.  It's a Shoei RF-1000.

Good choice. I also have an RF-1000

Quoted: interesting question.. no wonder VW (and others, I'm sure) have a cabin air filter that needs periodic changing.

I keep all my vehicles on internal air recirculation.. Modern vehicles are very well sealed.

If you're not a smoker, don't worry about it.  Your cillia should be able to clean out your TB tree pretty well.  If you are a smoker, worry, because smoking paralyzes the cillia.  Either way, sporatic exposure isn't likely to cause any long term harm.  It's not the same level as smoking four packs a day while you work in the coal mine.  Personally, I wouldn't worry.  It's the every day exposure combined with poor choices, like smoking, that will get you.