Abstract
This study aimed to explore the pattern of accumulation of some of main heavy metals in blood and various organs of rats after exposed to the atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Rats were randomly divided into control and three treatment groups (tracheal perfusion with 10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg of PM2.5 suspension liquid, respectively). Whole blood and the lung, liver, kidney, and cerebral cortex were harvested after rats were treated and sacrificed. The used heavy metals were detected using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrument. As results, Lead was increased in the liver, lung and cerebral cortex and the level of manganese was significantly elevated in the liver and cerebral cortex in PM2.5 treated rats. Besides, arsenic was prominently enriched both in cerebral cortex and in blood, and so did the aluminum in the cerebral cortex and the copper in the liver. However, cadmium, chromium and nickel have shown no difference between the control group and the three PM2.5 treated groups. Following the exposure of PM2.5, different heavy metals are preferentially accumulated in different body tissues.
Highlights
This study aimed to explore the pattern of accumulation of some of main heavy metals in blood and various organs of rats after exposed to the atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5)
The membrane filters carrying PM2.5 particles were processed and their heavy metal elements were detected by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)
The component analysis showed that airborne concentrations of Al and Pb were the highest (3.98 μ g/m3 and 0.54 μ g/m3, respectively) among the eight metals of this city’s atmospheric particulate matter in winter, and the contents of rest were followed by Cu (0.33 μ g/m3), Mn (0.12 μ g/m3), As (0.023 μ g/m3), Cr (0.0079 μ g/m3), Cd (0.0043 μ g/m3) and Ni (0.0018 μ g/m3)
Summary
This study aimed to explore the pattern of accumulation of some of main heavy metals in blood and various organs of rats after exposed to the atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5). PM, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which has a diameter of no more than 2.5 μ m, causes serious harm to human health because of its complicated composition, strong adsorption and rising levels in tandem with rapid industrial development[1] It was recognized as the most representative of the atmospheric pollutants. PM2.5 contains high concentrations of toxic trace metals, such as chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), titanium (Ti), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), zinc (Zn), etc.[18,19] These toxic heavy metals incorporated with atmospheric PM2.5 may enter the body through inhalation and have been suggested as causative agents associated with adverse respiratory health effects. Researches about intracorporal metabolic distribution of PM2.5 in the major organs are still insufficient
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