Insight into urban PM2.5 chemical composition and environmentally persistent free radicals attributed human lung epithelial cytotoxicity

Hanhan Li; Zhen Zhao; Xiao-San Luo; Guodong Fang; Dong Zhang; Yuting Pang; Weijie Huang; Tariq Mehmood; Mingwei Tang

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113356

Insight into urban PM_2.5 chemical composition and environmentally persistent free radicals attributed human lung epithelial cytotoxicity

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2022 Apr 1:234:113356. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113356. Epub 2022 Mar 4.

Authors

Hanhan Li¹, Zhen Zhao¹, Xiao-San Luo², Guodong Fang³, Dong Zhang¹, Yuting Pang⁴, Weijie Huang¹, Tariq Mehmood⁵, Mingwei Tang¹

Affiliations

¹ International Center for Ecology, Meteorology, and Environment, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China.
² International Center for Ecology, Meteorology, and Environment, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China. Electronic address: xsluo@nuist.edu.cn.
³ Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
⁴ International Center for Ecology, Meteorology, and Environment, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China; Zhejiang Institute of Meteorological Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China.
⁵ College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, China.

PMID: 35255246
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113356

Abstract

Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is detrimental to the human respiratory system. However, the toxicity of PM_2.5 and its associated potentially harmful species, notably novel pollutants like environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs), remains unclear. Therefore, one-year site monitoring and ambient air PM_2.5 sampling in the Nanjing urban area was designed to investigate the relationships between chemical compositions (carbon fractions, metallic elements, and water-soluble ions) and EPFRs, and change in cytotoxicity with varying PM_2.5 components. Oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species, ROS), inflammatory injury (IL-6 and TNF-α), and membrane injury (LDH) of human lung epithelial cells (A549) induced by PM_2.5 were analyzed using in vitro cytotoxicity test. Both the composition and toxicity of PM_2.5 from different seasons were compared. The average daily exposure of urban PM_2.5 associated EPFRs load in Nanjing were 2.29 × 10¹¹ spin m^-3. Their exposure concentration and cytotoxic damage ability were stronger in the cold season than warm. The particle compositions of metals and carbon fractions were significantly positively correlated with EPFRs. The airborne EPFRs, organic carbon (OC), and heavy metal Cu, As, and Pb may pose principal cell damage ability, which is worthy of further study interlinking aerosol pollution and health risks.

Keywords: A549 cell; Chemical components; Cytotoxicity; Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs); Fine particulate matters (PM(2.5)); Human health risk.