Characteristics and cytotoxicity of indoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and PM2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Hong Kong
TL;DR: In this article, the chemical and bioreactive properties of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in indoor environments were investigated from 2014 to 2016 in Hong Kong among 33 residential indoor environments.
Abstract: Organic components of fine particles, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), play an essential role in the toxicity of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The chemical and bioreactive properties of PM2.5 in indoor environments were investigated from 2014 to 2016 in Hong Kong among 33 residential indoor environments. All analyzed components revealed higher concentrations in winter than in summer, except for organic carbon (OC). High molecular weight PAHs (4–6 rings) contributed higher total PAH compositions than low molecular weight PAHs (2–3 rings). The study results suggested that the major sources of indoor PM2.5 originated from outdoor vehicle emissions, indoor cooking activities, and incense burning. Cytotoxicity tests only revealed significant associations in winter. The cell viability demonstrated strong negative correlations between OC (r = − 0.8, p < 0.05), total PM2.5-bound PAHs (r = − 0.6, p < 0.05), and United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) priority PAHs (r = − 0.7, p < 0.05). Cell lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and 8-isoprostane were positively associated with OC (r = 0.8, p < 0.05; r = 0.7, p < 0.05), total PM2.5-bound PAH (r = 0.7, p < 0.05; r = 0.7, p < 0.05), and US EPA priority PAH (r = 0.6, p < 0.05; r = 0.5, p = 0.07) concentrations. IL-6 had the only positive association with OC (r = 0.5, p < 0.05). This study focused on indoor PM2.5 levels and the associated cytotoxicity in the absence of environmental tobacco smoke.
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01 Apr 2013
TL;DR: In this article, the seasonal and diurnal variation of primary organic carbon (POC) and secondary carbon (SOC) concentrations in a megacity were investigated in Korea from January to December 2010 using hourly measurements of particulate and gaseous pollutants.
Abstract: Abstract In order to investigate seasonal and diurnal variation of primary organic carbon (POC) and secondary organic carbon (SOC) concentrations in a megacity, hourly measurements of particulate and gaseous pollutants were carried out in Seoul from January to December 2010. The EC Tracer Method (ECTM) and the Multiple Regression Method (MRM) have been used to estimate seasonal and diurnal concentrations of POC and SOC concentrations. Annual mean SOC concentrations estimated by ECTM (SOCECTM) and MRM (SOCMRM) accounted for 14.61 and 17.21% of TOC concentrations, respectively. Seasonal patterns in SOCMRM were comparable to those of SOCECTM, but the annual average SOCMRM was about 15% greater than that of SOCECTM. In spring, however, a large discrepancy was observed between SOCECTM and SOCMRM, which is thought to be due to a high ozone concentration and primary TOC/EC ratio. Regarding the annual mean diurnal characteristics, POC concentration showed peaks around 10:00 and 00:00 local time that were also observed in diurnal variations of TOC and EC concentrations. Annual mean SOC concentration, however, showed peaks at around 15:00. In the morning over all seasons, we found discrepancies between SOCECTM and SOCMRM due to overestimated SOCECTM concentration. The diurnal variations in SOC concentrations were found to have seasonal characteristics. The diurnal pattern of SOC concentration in spring was similar to that in autumn, and SOC concentrations in all seasons with the exception of winter showed a peak at around 15:00. In summer, however, the SOC concentration peak at around 15:00 was greater by 70%, 81%, and 54% than the peaks seen in spring, autumn, and winter, respectively, which could be explained by the high ozone concentration and strong UV radiation in summer. From 10:00 to 15:00 in summer, the average increase rates in SOCECTM and SOCMRM were 0.39 and 0.24 μg m−3 h−1, respectively. In winter, negligible diurnal variations of estimated SOC concentrations demonstrate that SOC formation is less active than in other seasons. The high concentration level of mean SOC in winter could be attributed to a low mixing height or stagnant atmospheric condition.
24 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a variable configuration cascade impactor (VCCI) with 11 size fractionation stages was used for the analysis of PM, associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and their dry deposition fluxes.
Abstract: Size-fractionated particulate matter (PM), associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and their dry deposition fluxes were measured in a coastal urban environment of Mumbai, India PM samples were collected using a variable configuration cascade impactor (VCCI) with 11 size fractionation stages Dry deposition samples were collected using a round-bottomed PVC tray High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for the identification and quantification of PAHs in samples PM were observed to range between 58 and 130 μg m−3, with a mean dry deposition flux of 1298 mg m−2 day−1 Observed PM concentrations during the sampling period were found to be well above the WHO Air Quality Guidelines A strong linear correlation was observed between the gravitational settling velocities and estimated dry deposition velocities for PM Concentrations of PAHs associated with PM were observed to be in the range 101–145 ng m−3 while their dry deposition fluxes varied from 1008 to 1160 ng m−2 month−1 The molecular diagnostic ratios (MDRs) indicated that sources of PAHs in the study area were petrogenic as well as non-traffic The dry deposition velocities calculated for PAHs were in the order of 10−4 cm s−1 to 10−3 cm s−1 in the entire size range
10 citations
TL;DR: Health effects resulting from the smoke of carbonyl compounds and metal-containing incense particles at temples during incense burning periods were evaluated at temple A and B and revealed that the risk values of metals and carbonyls were above recommended guidelines.
Abstract: Health effects resulting from the smoke of carbonyl compounds (aldehydes and ketones) and metal-containing incense particles at temples during incense burning periods were evaluated at temple A (without incense reduction activities) and B (with incense reduction activities), Nantou County, in 2018. The predominant size fractions of particles were PM1, PM1–2.5, and PM2.5–10 at both temples. The total particle mass at temple A was approximately 1.1 times that of temple B due to incense reduction at temple B. The most abundant metal elements in all particle size fractions at both temples were Fe, Al, and Zn. Metal species of incense smoke are divided into three groups by hierarchical cluster analysis and heatmaps, showing higher metal contents in groups PM1, PM18–10, and PM18–2.5 at temple A. In contrast, higher metal contents were observed in PM18–10 and PM2.5–1 at temple B. Most of the carbonyl species were formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, released during incense burning periods, with concentrations ranging from 6.20 to 13.05 μg/m3 at both temples. The total deposited fluxes of particle-bound metals at temples A and B were determined to be 83.00% and 84.82% using the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) model. Health-risk assessments revealed that the risk values of metals and carbonyls were above recommended guidelines (10−6) at temple A. Since worshippers and staff are exposed to incense burning environments with poor ventilation over a long period, these toxic organic compounds and metals increase health risks in the respiratory tract. Therefore, incense reduction is important to achieve healthy temple environments.
9 citations
TL;DR: A review of the relevant research in the past decade, summarizing the current situation, health effects, and emission reduction measures of agricultural air pollutants from different sources, in order to provide some help for follow-up research is presented in this paper.
Abstract: In recent years, the industrial emission of air pollution has been reduced via a series of measures. However, with the rapid development of modern agriculture, air pollution caused by agricultural activities is becoming more and more serious. Agricultural activities can generate a large amount of air pollutants, such as ammonia, methane, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and persistent organic pollutants, the sources of which mainly include farmland fertilization, livestock breeding, pesticide use, agricultural residue burning, agricultural machinery, and agricultural irrigation. Greenhouse gases emitted by agricultural activities can affect regional climate change, while atmospheric particulates and persistent organic pollutants can even seriously harm the health of surrounding residents. With the increasing threat of agricultural air pollution, more and more relevant studies have been carried out, as well as some recommendations for reducing emissions. The emissions of ammonia and greenhouse gases can be significantly reduced by adopting reasonable fertilization methods, scientific soil management, and advanced manure treatment systems. Regarding pesticide use and agricultural residues burning, emission reduction are more dependent on the restriction and support of government regulations, such as banning certain pesticides, prohibiting open burning of straw, and supporting the recycling and reuse of residues. This review, summarizing the relevant research in the past decade, discusses the current situation, health effects, and emission reduction measures of agricultural air pollutants from different sources, in order to provide some help for follow-up research.
7 citations
Cites background from "Characteristics and cytotoxicity of..."
...established a high negative correlation between cell viability and organic components in particulate matter by a series of experiments [100]....
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TL;DR: In this article, 84 pairs of PM2.5 samples from indoor (laboratory) and outdoor (campus) locations were collected from April to December 2018 in Caofeidian, China.
Abstract: Humans spend most of their time in indoor environments, thus a thorough understanding of indoor and outdoor PM2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) origins for accurate assessment of health risks is required. In the present study, 84 pairs of PM2.5 samples from indoor (laboratory) and outdoor (campus) locations were collected from April to December 2018 in Caofeidian, China. The annual median concentration of PM2.5 outdoors was 90.80 µg/m3, 9.08 times higher than the annual standard of WHO guideline (10 µg/m3). Indoor PM2.5 annual median concentration (41.80 µg/m3) was also higher than the annual standard of ASHRAE guideline (15 µg/m3). The annual median concentrations of ∑18PAHs indoors (44.23 ng/m3) and outdoors (189.6 ng/m3) were highest in winter and descended in the order of autumn > spring > summer. Contrary to summer and autumn, indoor/outdoor concentration ratios were less than 1 in spring and winter, indicating that the contribution of outdoor particle infiltration was more significant than that of indoor sources. The positive matrix factorization model suggested that indoor PAHs came from three sources: vehicle emissions (43%), biomass burning (37%), industry emissions, and coal combustion (20%). Outdoor PAHs came from four sources: petroleum volatilization (39%), vehicle emissions (30%), coal combustion (18%), and biomass burning (13%). The incremental lifetime cancer risk values of indoor and outdoor PAHs in winter exceeded the acceptable level (10−6), and the carcinogenic risk of adults was higher than that of children and teenagers. These results indicated that simultaneous monitoring of indoor and outdoor PAHs is recommended for accurate assessment of health risk, and the analysis in the current work should be helpful to formulate policies to reduce PAHs emissions.
6 citations
References
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TL;DR: In this paper, parent and alkyl PAHs were quantified in suspended particulates and sediments (345 samples) from the Fraser River system, British Columbia, Canada, and the best potential to distinguish natural and anthropogenic sources is exhibited by ratios of the principal mass 178, 202, 228 and 276 parent PAH, 1,7/2,6+1,7-DMP (dimethylphenanthrene), the phenanthrene/anthracene and fluoranthene/pyrene alkyal PAH series and several less commonly applied PA
3,527 citations
TL;DR: The sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay is used for cell density determination, based on the measurement of cellular protein content, which is an efficient and highly cost-effective method for screening.
Abstract: The sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay is used for cell density determination, based on the measurement of cellular protein content. The method described here has been optimized for the toxicity screening of compounds to adherent cells in a 96-well format. After an incubation period, cell monolayers are fixed with 10% (wt/vol) trichloroacetic acid and stained for 30 min, after which the excess dye is removed by washing repeatedly with 1% (vol/vol) acetic acid. The protein-bound dye is dissolved in 10 mM Tris base solution for OD determination at 510 nm using a microplate reader. The results are linear over a 20-fold range of cell numbers and the sensitivity is comparable to those of fluorometric methods. The method not only allows a large number of samples to be tested within a few days, but also requires only simple equipment and inexpensive reagents. The SRB assay is therefore an efficient and highly cost-effective method for screening.
2,912 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the main anthropogenic sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their effect on the concentrations of these compounds in air are discussed.
2,217 citations
"Characteristics and cytotoxicity of..." refers background in this paper
...Long-term exposure to PAHs could lead to immune system dysfunction, pulmonary impairment, and kidney and liver damage (Abdel-Shafy and Mansour 2016)....
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TL;DR: An overview of PAH properties, fates, transformations, human exposure, and health effects (acute and chronic) associated with their emission to the atmosphere is offered.
1,658 citations
26 Nov 2008-Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part C-environmental Carcinogenesis & Ecotoxicology Reviews
TL;DR: The evaluation of most of these studies shows that the smaller the size of PM the higher the toxicity through mechanisms of oxidative stress and inflammation, and Associations between chemical compositions and particle toxicity tend to be stronger for the fine and ultrafine PM size fractions.
Abstract: Air pollution has been considered a hazard to human health. In the past decades, many studies highlighted the role of ambient airborne particulate matter (PM) as an important environmental pollutant for many different cardiopulmonary diseases and lung cancer. Numerous epidemiological studies in the past 30 years found a strong exposure-response relationship between PM for short-term effects (premature mortality, hospital admissions) and long-term or cumulative health effects (morbidity, lung cancer, cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary diseases, etc). Current research on airborne particle-induced health effects investigates the critical characteristics of particulate matter that determine their biological effects. Several independent groups of investigators have shown that the size of the airborne particles and their surface area determine the potential to elicit inflammatory injury, oxidative damage, and other biological effects. These effects are stronger for fine and ultrafine particles because they can penetrate deeper into the airways of the respiratory tract and can reach the alveoli in which 50% are retained in the lung parenchyma. Composition of the PM varies greatly and depends on many factors. The major components of PM are transition metals, ions (sulfate, nitrate), organic compound, quinoid stable radicals of carbonaceous material, minerals, reactive gases, and materials of biologic origin. Results from toxicological research have shown that PM have several mechanisms of adverse cellular effects, such as cytotoxicity through oxidative stress mechanisms, oxygen-free radical-generating activity, DNA oxidative damage, mutagenicity, and stimulation of proinflammatory factors. In this review, the results of the most recent epidemiological and toxicological studies are summarized. In general, the evaluation of most of these studies shows that the smaller the size of PM the higher the toxicity through mechanisms of oxidative stress and inflammation. Some studies showed that the extractable organic compounds (a variety of chemicals with mutagenic and cytotoxic properties) contribute to various mechanisms of cytotoxicity; in addition, the water-soluble faction (mainly transition metals with redox potential) play an important role in the initiation of oxidative DNA damage and membrane lipid peroxidation. Associations between chemical compositions and particle toxicity tend to be stronger for the fine and ultrafine PM size fractions. Vehicular exhaust particles are found to be most responsible for small-sized airborne PM air pollution in urban areas. With these aspects in mind, future research should aim at establishing a cleared picture of the cytotoxic and carcinogenic mechanisms of PM in the lungs, as well as mechanisms of formation during internal engine combustion processes and other sources of airborne fine particles of air pollution.
1,216 citations
"Characteristics and cytotoxicity of..." refers background in this paper
...Studies have demonstrated that extractable organic compounds can cause oxidative stress and inflammatory effects (Athanasios et al. 2008)....
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