Genotoxicity of PM2.5 and PM1.0 Particulates on Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes in Manila, Philippines

Ma Katrina Gale Estonilo,Joedith Anne Cazeñas,Carlos Josef Villafuerte,Celia Asaad,Gerardo Jose Robles,Maria Cecilia Galvez,Custer Deocaris,Edgar Vallar,Gloriamaris Caraos

doi:10.3390/atmos13010006

Ma Katrina Gale Estonilo, Joedith Anne Cazeñas + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13010006

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Abstract

Urban air quality is increasingly being studied as a fraction of the world’s population is living in megacities. In this study, particulate matter (PM) along Taft Avenue, Manila, the Philippines, is investigated in terms of its ability to induce genetic damage in human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). Size-segregated roadside air samples were obtained from 2015–2017 near a university gate and analyzed using in vitro micronucleus (MN) and cytokinesis-block proliferation tests. While cellular proliferation was unaffected by 0–0.1 kg/m3 of PM1.0 and PM2.5, PBL cells treated with PM2.5 displayed a significantly higher micronucleus count (p = 0.03) compared to the cells treated with PM1.0. Atomic absorption spectroscopy revealed greater amounts of Cd, Ca, Pb, K, Na, and Zn in PM2.5 compared to PM1.0. The results indicate that the differences in composition of the two size fractions of air particulates are associated with their genotoxicities.

Highlights

Particulate matter (PM) is air particles comprising liquid or solid materials that are an admixture of organic and inorganic compounds
Two-way ANOVA showed that PM2.5 was more genotoxic compared to PM1.0 at p = 0.03
There was an increase in MN frequencies for all treatments (0.050 kg/m3, 0.10 kg/m3, and 0.15 kg/m3 ) for both PM1.0 and PM2.5

Summary

Introduction

Particulate matter (PM) is air particles comprising liquid or solid materials that are an admixture of organic and inorganic compounds. The exact mechanisms are still being unraveled, air particulates have been linked to various diseases, from respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses to neurological disorders [1,2,3]. According to the Environmental Performance Index (EPI), the Philippines is ranked 114th out of 178 countries in poor implementation of environmental policies. In Manila, the average human exposure to PM2.5 is 17 × 10−9 kg/m3 , exceeding the 5 × 10−9 kg/m3 standard limit for PM2.5 exposure by the World Health Organization (WHO) [4]. The Philippines is among the top ten countries globally with the highest death burden due to air pollution which was estimated to account for 64,000 deaths in 2019 [5,6]

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