Biological effects of particulate matter samples during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison with the pre-lockdown period in Northwest Italy

Marta Gea; Manuela Macrì; Daniele Marangon; Francesco Antonio Pitasi; Marco Fontana; Tiziana Schilirò; Sara Bonetta

doi:10.1007/s11869-023-01381-6

Biological effects of particulate matter samples during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison with the pre-lockdown period in Northwest Italy

Air Qual Atmos Health. 2023 Jun 6:1-16. doi: 10.1007/s11869-023-01381-6. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Marta Gea^#¹, Manuela Macrì^#², Daniele Marangon³, Francesco Antonio Pitasi³, Marco Fontana³, Tiziana Schilirò¹, Sara Bonetta¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Via Santena 5 Bis, 10126 Turin, Italy.
² Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy.
³ Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Piedmont (ARPA Piemonte), Via Sabaudia 164, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, containment measures were applied inducing potential changes in air pollutant concentrations and thus in air toxicity. This study evaluates the role of restrictions on biological effects of particulate matter (PM) in different Northwest Italy sites: urban background, urban traffic, rural, and incinerator. Daily PM samples collected in 2020 were pooled according to restrictions: January/February (no restrictions), March and April (first lockdown), May/June and July/August/September (low restrictions), October/November/December (second lockdown). The 2019 samples (pre-pandemic period) were pooled as 2020 for comparison. Pools were extracted with organic solvents and extracts were tested to assess cytotoxicity (WST-1 assay) and genotoxicity (comet assay) on BEAS-2B cells, mutagenicity (Ames test) on TA98 and TA100 Salmonella typhimurium strains, and estrogenic activity (gene reporter assay) on MELN cells. Pollutant concentrations were also analyzed (PM₁₀, PM_2.5, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). No difference was observed for PM and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations between 2020 and 2019. During lockdown months (2020), PM cytotoxicity/genotoxicity was significantly lower in some sites than during 2019, while considering PM mutagenicity/estrogenic activity some differences were detected but without statistical significance. PM extract effects decreased in some sites during 2020; this may be due to lockdowns that reduced/modified pollutant emissions and may be related also to complex PM origin/formation and to meteorological conditions. In conclusion, the study confirms that PM biological effects cannot be assessed considering only the PM concentration and suggests to include a battery of bioassay for air quality monitoring in order to protect human health from air pollution effects.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11869-023-01381-6.

Keywords: COVID-19 lockdown; Cytotoxicity; Estrogenic activity; Genotoxicity; Mutagenicity; Particulate matter.