Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Mixtures Research Articles

A polymer monolith incorporating stellate mesoporous silica nanospheres for use in capillary electrochromatography and solid phase microextraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organic small molecules.

An inorganic-organic hybrid monolith incorporated with stellated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (SMSNs) was prepared. Using binary solvents, deep eutectic solvents and room temperature ionic liquids, anSMSN-incorporated poly(butyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) monolith demonstrated uniform structure with good column permeability. A systematic investigation of preparation parameter was performed, including SMSN content, crosslinking monomer content, and the component of binary solvent. The optimized monoliths were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, area scanning energy dispersive spectrometry, and nitrogen adsorption. Column performance was tested by separating four groups of analytes (alkylbenzenes, anilines, naphthalenes and phenols) by capillary electrochromatography (CEC). Baseline separation of all analytes was obtained with column efficiencies of up to 266,000 plates m-1. The performance of the resulting monolith was further investigated in detail by separating mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and hydroxybenzoic acid isomers. Compared with the corresponding SMSN-free monolith, the CEC performance was improved by about six times. Successful extraction of PAHs and quinolones (QNs) were also performed using this capillary. Improved extraction efficiency (20.2%) for complex samples, lake water, was also found when the material was applied to solid phase microextraction of fluoranthene. Graphical abstract A poly(butyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) monolith incorporated with stellated mesoporous silica nanoparticles was prepared. It demonstrated column efficiency up to 266,000 plates m-1 in capillary electrochromatography and ability as solid phase microextraction for organic small molecules with good column permeability.

Differential effects of diesel exhaust particles on T cell differentiation and autoimmune disease

BackgroundExposure to particulate matter (PM) has been associated with increased incidence and severity of autoimmune disease. Diesel PM is primarily composed of an elemental carbon core and adsorbed organic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and contributes up to 40% of atmospheric PM. The organic fraction (OF) of PM excludes all metals and inorganics and retains most organic compounds, such as PAHs. Both PM and OF increase inflammation in vitro and aggravate autoimmune disease in humans. PAHs are known aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) ligands. The AHR modulates T cell differentiation and effector function in vitro and in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model of autoimmune disease. This study aims to identify whether the total mass or active components of PM are responsible for activating pathways associated with exposure to PM and autoimmune disease. This study tests the hypothesis that active components present in diesel PM and their OF enhance effector T cell differentiation and aggravate autoimmune disease.ResultsTwo different diesel samples, each characterized for their components, were tested for their effects on autoimmunity. Both diesel PM enhanced effector T cell differentiation in an AHR-dose-dependent manner and suppressed regulatory T cell differentiation in vitro. Both diesel PM aggravated EAE in vivo. Fractionated diesel OFs exhibited the same effects as PM in vitro, but unlike PM, only one diesel OF aggravated EAE. Additionally, both synthetic PAH mixtures that represent specific PAHs found in the two diesel PM samples enhanced Th17 differentiation, however one lost this effect after metabolism and only one required the AHR.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that active components of PM and not total mass are driving T cell responses in vitro, but in vivo the PM matrix and complex mixtures adsorbed to the particles, not just the OF, are contributing to the observed EAE effects. This implies that examining OF alone may not be sufficient in vivo. These data further suggest that bioavailability and metabolism of organics, especially PAHs, may have an important role in vivo.

An overview of research and development themes in the measurement and occurrences of polyaromatic hydrocarbons in dusts and particulates.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of organic compounds consisting of two or more fused aromatic rings and are probably one of the most studied groups of organic chemicals in environmental research. PAHs originate mainly from anthropogenic processes, particularly from incomplete combustion of organic fuels. PAHs are distributed widely in particulate matter. Due to widespread sources and persistent characteristics, PAHs disperse through atmospheric transport and exist almost everywhere. Human beings are exposed to PAH mixtures in gaseous or particulate phases in ambient air. Long-term exposure to high concentrations of PAHs is associated with adverse health problems. This review identifies the main research and development themes in the measurement and occurrences of PAHs in dusts and particulates using a new approach to carrying out a literature review where many peer-review publications have been produced. The review extracts the most important research themes from a literature search using a combination of text mining and a more detailed review of selected papers from within the identified themes.

Predicting phototoxicity of alkylated PAHs, mixtures of PAHs, and water accommodated fractions (WAF) of neat and weathered petroleum with the phototoxic target lipid model.

The toxicity of petroleum can increase considerably after exposure to solar radiation, during which certain components in the mixture, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), absorb light in ultraviolet and visible portions of the solar radiation spectrum. A phototoxic target lipid model (PTLM), previously developed to predict the phototoxicity of single PAHs, is validated for 4 species (Americamysis bahia, Rhepoxynius abronius, Daphnia magna, and Pimephales promelas) exposed to 12 compounds that are components of petroleum, including alkylated PAHs and dibenzothiophene. The PTLM is also used to predict the phototoxicity of binary and ternary mixtures of 3 PAHs, pyrene, anthracene, and fluoranthene, to A. bahia and Menidia beryllina. Finally, it is used to predict the toxicity of water accommodated fractions of neat and naturally weathered Macondo crude oil samples from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill sites. The Gulf of Mexico species, including A. bahia, M. beryllina, Cyprinodon variegatus, and Fundulus grandis were exposed to the oil samples under natural and simulated solar radiation. The results support the applicability of the PTLM for predicting the phototoxicity of petroleum. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:2165-2174. © 2018 SETAC.

Selection of Coagulants for the Removal of Chosen PAH from Drinking Water

The aim of the research was to determine the efficiency of a coagulation process with powdered activated carbon for the removal from surface water of benzo(a)pyrene and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including the sum of four standardized in the Council Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption: benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(g,h,i)perylene, and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene. For the study, surface water was used, whose composition was modified with standard solution PAH MIX A. In the first stage, for water modified with standard PAH mixture, the coagulation process was conducted. As the coagulants Al2(SO4)3·18H2O, hydrolysed salts, and polyaluminum chlorides (PAX1910 and PAX19F) were used. In the second stage, the adsorption process was conducted. Powdered activated carbon was used (CWZ-22 and CWZ-30). In the third stage, the coagulation process and the adsorption process were combined. The best effects for the reduction concentrations of the sum of four normalized PAHs, as well as of benzo(a)pyrene, were obtained by applying coagulation carried out with PAX19F and aided by powdered activated carbon CWZ-30. The removal efficiency for these compounds was, respectively, 93.8% and 95.8%.

Structural and functional responses of coastal marine phytoplankton communities to PAH mixtures

The toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) mixtures was evaluated on natural phytoplankton communities sampled from lagoons of Bizerte (South-western Mediterranean Sea) and Thau (North-western Mediterranean Sea). PAHs induced short-term dose and ecosystem-dependant decreases in photosynthetic potential. Chlorophyll a was negatively affected by increasing PAHs concentrations, together with dramatic changes in phytoplankton community composition. Size classes were strongly affected in the Bizerte compare to the Thau lagoon, with a decrease in nano- and microphytoplankton densities compare to picophytoplankton. In both locations, the diatom Entomoneis paludosa appeared favoured under PAH exposure as evidenced by increase in cell density, whereas autotrophic flagellates and dinophytes were strongly reduced. Smaller cells were more tolerant to exposure to highest PAHs concentrations, with persistent picophytoplankton carbon biomass at the end of the incubations. Apparent recovery of photosynthetic potential, accompanied with a regrowth of chlorophyll a under the lowest PAH doses, coincided with a significantly altered community composition in both lagoons. Furthermore, sensitivity to PAHs was not related to the phytoplankton cell size, and toxicity-induced modification of top-down control by grazers during the experiment cannot be excluded.

Random initialisation of the excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectral variables in constraint fashion for subsequent multivariate curve resolution alternating least square analysis on a peculiarly designed calibration set: Simultaneous sensing of nine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water samples

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic and mutagenic in nature therefore their sensing in water sample is an important analytical task. In the present work, a novel approach that is based on the random initialisation of the excitation-emission matrix fluorescence (EEMF) spectral variables in constraint fashion for subsequent multivariate curve resolution alternating least Square (MCR-ALS) analysis is introduced for simultaneously sensing the complex dilute aqueous mixture of PAHs. The usefulness of the proposed analytical approach is successfully demonstrated by applying it intentionally on a calibration set that is peculiar in many senses. The peculiarity mainly arises because the designed (i) the calibration set consist of nine PAHS having significant spectral overlap, (ii) the concentration of each PAH in different samples are kept constant and (iii) any two samples differ only in the presence and absence of the PAHs. The proposed approach is found to make precise and accurate estimation of each of the nine PAHs without involving any pre-separation. In summary, the proposed approach provides a simple and cost-effective procedure for simultaneous sensing of several PAHs in water samples. The proposed approach could be very useful in developing countries.

OPTIMIZATION OF ULTRASONICATION EXTRACTION FOR DETERMINATION OF 16 POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN AIR PARTICLE

The aim of this study is to develop the quick ultrasonication extraction procedure for determination of 16 typical polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in air particles. The determination and quantification of PAHs in air particles samples were performed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with the aid of deuterated PAH internal standards. 1ug mixture of PAHs was spiked to a quarter of quartz fiber filter and extracted with four different solvents/solvent mixtures (methanol:dichloromethane, acetone:dichloromethane; acetone:hexane; dichloromethane). Ultrasonication extraction was carried out in dark at uncontrolled and controlled ultrasonication temperature (25-28oC). The unique extraction time (20 minutes) was applied for all experiments. The results showed that high recovery rate of PAHs (82-108%) were obtained with dichloromethane (as extraction solvent) in dark at ultrasonication temperature of 25 to 28oC, while generally low recovery rate of PAHs, especially naphthalene (57%) were obtained with methanol:dichloromethane (1:1). The ultrasonication extraction method with dichloromethane showed good reproductively and repeatability with relative standard deviation of 16 PAHs below 6,14%, confirming that samples analyses were precise. Analytical results of PAHs in air particles collected in Hanoi using the developed ultrasonication extraction procedure showed that 15 out of 16 PAHs were detected, in which high molecular weight (MW) PAHs (>5 rings) were abundance compared to low molecular weight PAHs (< 3 rings). This developed ultrasonication extraction method is quick, easy and sufficient for determination of PAHs in air particle

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure impairs pre-migratory fuelling in captively-dosed Sanderling (Calidris alba)

Efficient fuelling is essential for migratory birds because fuel loads and fuelling rates affect individual fitness and survival during migration. Many migrant shorebirds are exposed to oil pollution and its toxic constituents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), at migratory staging sites, which has the potential to interfere with avian refuelling physiology. In this study, we orally dosed shorebirds with environmentally-relevant PAH mixtures to simulate dietary exposure during staging. Forty-nine wild-caught Sanderling (Calidris alba) were exposed to 0 (control), 12.6 (low), 126 (medium), or 1260 (high) μg total PAH/kg body weight/day. Birds were dosed during a 21-day period of autumn pre-migratory fuelling to mimic the typical staging duration of Sanderling. We measured daily changes in mass and fat loads, as well as ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, serum biochemical profiles, and liver mass and lipid content following dosing. All dose groups gained fat and increased in mass (size-corrected) during the study period, with females having a higher average body mass than males. However, mass gain was 3.9, 5.4, and 3.8 times lower in the low, medium, and high dose groups, respectively, relative to controls, and body mass in the medium and high dose groups significantly declined near the end of the experiment. EROD activity showed a dose-dependent increase and was significantly elevated in the high dose group relative to controls. Higher individual EROD activity was associated with reduced serum bile acid and elevated serum creatine kinase concentrations in both sexes, and with elevated serum lipase concentrations in females. These results suggest that PAH exposure in Sanderling can interfere with mechanisms of lipid transport and metabolism, can cause muscle damage, and can lead to reduced overall fat loads that are critical to staging duration, departure decisions, migratory speed, and flight range. Given that many shorebirds migrate thousands of kilometers between the breeding and wintering grounds and frequently aggregate at key staging sites that are subject to contamination, PAH exposure likely represents a significant threat to shorebird migratory success.

Environmental and individual PAH exposures near rural natural gas extraction

Natural gas extraction (NGE) has expanded rapidly in the United States in recent years. Despite concerns, there is little information about the effects of NGE on air quality or personal exposures of people living or working nearby. Recent research suggests NGE emits polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) into air. This study used low-density polyethylene passive samplers to measure concentrations of PAHs in air near active (n = 3) and proposed (n = 2) NGE sites. At each site, two concentric rings of air samplers were placed around the active or proposed well pad location. Silicone wristbands were used to assess personal PAH exposures of participants (n = 19) living or working near the sampling sites. All samples were analyzed for 62 PAHs using GC-MS/MS, and point sources were estimated using the fluoranthene/pyrene isomer ratio. ∑PAH was significantly higher in air at active NGE sites (Wilcoxon rank sum test, p < 0.01). PAHs in air were also more petrogenic (petroleum-derived) at active NGE sites. This suggests that PAH mixtures at active NGE sites may have been affected by direct emissions from petroleum sources at these sites. ∑PAH was also significantly higher in wristbands from participants who had active NGE wells on their properties than from participants who did not (Wilcoxon rank sum test, p < 0.005). There was a significant positive correlation between ∑PAH in participants' wristbands and ∑PAH in air measured closest to participants’ homes or workplaces (simple linear regression, p < 0.0001). These findings suggest that living or working near an active NGE well may increase personal PAH exposure. This work also supports the utility of the silicone wristband to assess personal PAH exposure.

16S metagenomic analysis reveals adaptability of a mixed-PAH-degrading consortium isolated from crude oil-contaminated seawater to changing environmental conditions

A bacterial consortium, named SWO, was enriched from crude oil-contaminated seawater from Phrao Bay in Rayong Province, Thailand, after a large oil spill in 2013. The bacterial consortium degraded a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) mixture consisting of phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene (50 mg L−1 each) by approximately 73%, 69%, 52%, and 48%, respectively, within 21 days. This consortium exhibited excellent adaptation to a wide range of environmental conditions. It could degrade a mixture of four PAHs under a range of pH values (4.0–9.0), temperatures (25 °C–37 °C), and salinities (0–10 g L−1 with NaCl). In addition, this consortium degraded 20–30% of benzo[a]pyrene and perylene (10 mg L−1 each), high molecular weight PAHs, in the presence of other PAHs within 35 days, and degraded 40% of 2% (v/v) crude oil within 20 days. The 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analysis demonstrated that Pseudomonas and Methylophaga were the dominant genera of consortium SWO in almost all treatments, while Pseudidiomarina, Thalassospira and Alcanivorax were predominant under higher salt concentrations. Moreover, Pseudomonas and Alcanivorax were dominant in the crude oil-degradation treatment. Our results suggest that the consortium SWO maintained its biodegradation ability by altering the bacterial community profile upon encountering changes in the environmental conditions.

Mechanisms of reactivity of benzo(a)pyrene and other PAH inferred from field measurements

Abstract Semi-volatile polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) partition between the vapour and condensed phases, both of which undergo oxidation. However, the relative contributions of oxidation in the vapour and condensed phases remain controversial. This is particularly important in respect of benzo(a)pyrene, which is responsible for a substantial proportion of the carcinogenic risk associated with airborne PAHs and is used as a marker for the PAH mixture in air quality standards. There is substantial evidence from field measurements that B(a)P is less reactive in the atmosphere than low molecular weight PAHs, but many uncertainties remain regarding the rate and determinants of its atmospheric decay. Using novel methodology, changes in the ratios of PAHs during atmospheric transport are used to infer the concentrations of OH and NO3 radicals responsible for the gas phase oxidation of low molecular weight PAHs. These are then used to examine the reactivity of B(a)P during atmospheric transport, and it is concluded that the loss of B(a)P can plausibly be described by the vapour phase reaction with the OH radical. These results offer an alternative mechanism to some others involving heterogeneous chemistry proposed in the literature.

Effect of single and mixed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination on plant biomass yield and PAH dissipation during phytoremediation

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated sites have a mixture of PAH of varying concentration which may affect PAH dissipation differently to contamination with a single PAH. In this study, pot experiments investigated the impact of PAH contamination on Medicago sativa, Lolium perenne, and Festuca arundinacea biomass and PAH dissipation from soils spiked with phenanthrene (Phe), fluoranthene (Flu), and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in single and mixed treatments. Stimulatory or inhibitory effects of PAH contamination on plant biomass yields were not different for the single and mixed PAH treatments. Results showed significant effect of PAH treatments on plant growth with an increased root biomass yield for F. arundinacea in the Phe (175%) and Flu (86%) treatments and a root biomass decrease in the mixed treatment (4%). The mean residual PAHs in the planted treatments and unplanted control for the single treatments were not significantly different. B[a]P dissipation was enhanced for single and mixed treatments (71–72%) with F. arundinacea compared to the unplanted control (24–50%). On the other hand, B[a]P dissipation was inhibited with L. perenne (6%) in the single treatment and M. sativa (11%) and L. perenne (29%) in the mixed treatment. Abiotic processes had greater contribution to PAH dissipation compared to rhizodegradation in both treatments. In most cases, a stimulatory effect of PAH contamination on plant biomass yield without an enhancement of PAH dissipation was observed. Plant species among other factors affect the relative contribution of PAH dissipation mechanisms during phytoremediation. These factors determine the effectiveness and suitability of phytoremediation as a remedial strategy for PAH-contaminated sites. Further studies on impact of PAH contamination, plant selection, and rhizosphere activities on soil microbial community structure and remediation outcome are required.

Cosolubilization of phenanthrene and pyrene in surfactant micelles: Experimental and atomistic simulations studies

Solubilization of mixed phenanthrene (PHE) and pyrene (PYR) in Triton X-100 (TX), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and mixed TX-SDS surfactant solutions were done to observe their cosolubilization effect. Moreover, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to reveal how polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) coexist in the micelle. Cosolubilization of PHE and PYR exhibited synergism along with decreasing synergistic extent with increasing SDS in mixed micelle. MD simulations verified the distribution of PHE and PYR in the shell and core regions of pure SDS and mixed SDS-TX micelles (with molar ratio of 1: 1), which were chosen as the representative systems for simulation study. The movement of PHE and PYR inside the micelle along with their different probability to contact with SDS non‑hydrogen atoms in pure SDS and mixed SDS-TX solubilization systems suggests the different solubilization sites of the two PAHs inside the micelle leading to their coexistence in the micelle. This study implies the significance of considering cosolubilization effects between PAH mixtures in determining surfactant concentration for environmental remediation.

Immobilized Laccase Mediator-Catalyzed Oxidation of Aqueous Mixtures of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

ABSTRACTAlthough terrestrial and aquatic environments are polluted with mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), much of the research efforts toward bioremediation of these toxic, mutagenic and/or carcinogenic pollutants have focused on individual compounds. The potential of laccase (E.C. 1.10.3.2) from Trametes versicolor immobilized on soil and kaolinite for in vitro oxidation of equimolar concentration of anthracene (AnT), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benz[a]anthracene (BaA) and pyrene (PyR) in sole, binary, ternary and quaternary substrate systems, in the presence of 2, 2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT) as mediator compounds was investigated. Results indicated that HBT was a better mediator compared to ABTS due to favorable redox potential difference (ΔEo) between laccase-HBT and PAH couples. The amount of each PAH oxidized depends on the type and number of PAHs present in the mixture. Due to its low molecular weight and high Eo, AnT inhibited the oxidative transformation of the other PAHs, and appeared to be competing for the same active site of the enzyme with BaP. Except for AnT, the oxidation of all the PAHs decreased with complexity of the mixture, with PyR oxidation inhibited by the presence of BaA. The oxidation of the PAHs was significantly low in the quaternary substrate system, probably due to enzyme inhibition from substrate overload. The results indicated that competitive effect may arise when more than one PAH is present in the reaction solution to interact with the enzyme and offer the possibility of the use of immobilized LMS for remediating complex PAH mixtures in the environment.

Systematic developmental neurotoxicity assessment of a representative PAH Superfund mixture using zebrafish

Superfund sites often consist of complex mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). It is widely recognized that PAHs pose risks to human and environmental health, but the risks posed by exposure to PAH mixtures are unclear. We constructed an environmentally relevant PAH mixture with the top 10 most prevalent PAHs (SM10) from a Superfund site derived from environmental passive sampling data. Using the zebrafish model, we measured body burden at 48 hours post fertilization (hpf) and evaluated the developmental and neurotoxicity of SM10 and the 10 individual constituents at 24 hours post fertilization (hpf) and 5 days post fertilization (dpf). Zebrafish embryos were exposed from 6 to 120 hpf to (1) the SM10 mixture, (2) a variety of individual PAHs: pyrene, fluoranthene, retene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, naphthalene, acenaphthene, phenanthrene, fluorene, and 2-methylnaphthalene. We demonstrated that SM10 and only 3 of the individual PAHs were developmentally toxic. Subsequently, we constructed and exposed developing zebrafish to two sub-mixtures: SM3 (comprised of 3 of the developmentally toxicity PAHs) and SM7 (7 non-developmentally toxic PAHs). We found that the SM3 toxicity profile was similar to SM10, and SM7 unexpectedly elicited developmental toxicity unlike that seen with its individual components. The results demonstrated that the overall developmental toxicity in the mixtures could be explained using the general concentration addition model. To determine if exposures activated the AHR pathway, spatial expression of CYP1A was evaluated in the 10 individual PAHs and the 3 mixtures at 5 dpf. Results showed activation of AHR in the liver and vasculature for the mixtures and some individual PAHs. Embryos exposed to SM10 during development and raised in chemical-free water into adulthood exhibited decreased learning and responses to startle stimulus indicating that developmental SM10 exposures affect neurobehavior. Collectively, these results exemplify the utility of zebrafish to investigate the developmental and neurotoxicity of complex mixtures.

Low Dose Carbon Black Nanoparticle Exposure Does Not Aggravate Allergic Airway Inflammation in Mice Irrespective of the Presence of Surface Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.

Exposure to exogenous noxae, such as particulate matter, can trigger acute aggravations of allergic asthma—a chronic inflammatory airway disease. We tested whether Carbon Black nanoparticles (CBNP) with or without surface polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) aggravate an established allergic airway inflammation in mice. In an ovalbumin mouse model, Printex®90 (P90), P90 coated with benzo[a]pyrene (P90-BaP) or 9-nitroanthracene (P90-9NA), or acetylene soot exhibiting a mixture of surface PAH (AS-PAH) was administered twice (70 µL, 100 µg/mL) during an established allergic airway inflammation. We analyzed the immune cell numbers and chemokine/cytokine profiles in bronchoalveolar lavages, the mRNA expressions of markers for PAH metabolism (Cyp1a1, 1b1), oxidative stress (HO-1, Gr, Gpx-3), inflammation (KC, Mcp-1, IL-6, IL-13, IL-17a), mucin synthesis (Muc5ac, Muc5b), the histology of mucus-producing goblet cells, ciliary beat frequency (CBF), and the particle transport speed. CBNP had a comparable primary particle size, hydrodynamic diameter, and ζ-potential, but differed in the specific surface area (P90 > P90-BaP = P90-9NA = AS-PAH) and surface chemistry. None of the CBNP tested increased any parameter related to inflammation. The unmodified P90, however, decreased the tracheal CBF, decreased the Muc5b in intrapulmonary airways, but increased the tracheal Muc5ac. Our results demonstrated that irrespective of the surface PAH, a low dose of CBNP does not acutely aggravate an established allergic airway inflammation in mice.

Gene expression profiling of human bronchial epithelial cells exposed to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from biomass combustion

One-third of the world's population relies on solid biomass fuels for domestic energy demands. In contrast to industrial or traffic related emissions, only a limited number of studies focus on the adverse health effects of particulate matter (PM) from biomass combustion. We conducted Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 arrays, bioinformatic analysis, qRT-PCR and immunoblotting to determine the molecular impact of fuelwood-derived PM2.5 on lung epithelial BEAS-2B cells. In the presence of PM2.5 175 differentially regulated genes were identified. Gene ontology (GO), pathway and functional enrichment analysis allocated these genes to cellular development, metabolism, inflammation, cancer and the immune system. Analysis of enriched transcription factor binding sites extracted 15 PM2.5 responsive transcription factors, including the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-activated aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Accordingly, a complex mixture of PAHs was detected in the PM2.5 fraction using APLI and AhR-inhibitors reduced the up-regulation of CYP1A1, EREG, GREM1, IL1B and IL6, indicating that PAHs are involved in PM2.5 specific gene deregulation. We also provide evidence, that HIF-1α might be responsive to PM2.5. To analyze the impact of microbial infections, PM2.5 predisposed cells were incubated with LPS or dsRNA. We identified 40 LPS and 380 dsRNA specific genes in PM2.5 predisposed cells. GO allocated these genes with chemokine dependent and inflammatory pathways, viral responses and xenobiotic metabolism. A disease ontology allocated lung and lung associated diseases to PM2.5 exposed cells. In some cases LPS or dsRNA increased significance of probability of diseases. Altogether our studies enhance our knowledge on the mechanism promoting harmful effects of PM.

Analysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Mixtures Using Diffusion-Ordered NMR Spectroscopy and Adsorption by Powdered Activated Carbon and Biochar.

Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in air and water sources is a key part of environmental chemistry research, since most PAHs are well known to be associated with negative health impacts on humans. This study explores an approach for analyzing PAH mixtures with advanced nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic techniques including high-resolution one-dimensional (1D) NMR spectroscopy and diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY NMR). With this method, different kinds of PAHs can be detected and differentiated from a mixture with high resolution. The adsorption process of PAH mixtures by PAC and biochar was studied to understand the mechanism and assess the method.

Miniaturised Marine Algae Test with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons − Comparing Equilibrium Passive Dosing and Nominal Spiking

In this study the miniaturised Marine Algae Test (mMAT) using passive dosing was developed based on the ISO EN DIN10253 to investigate the growth inhibition of the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum caused by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Risk assessment of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) like PAHs in aquatic toxicity tests is very difficult due to their low aqueous solubilities, losses via sorption to the wells and volatilisation. However, passive dosing can overcome these challenges. In this study biocompatible silicone O-rings were used as PAH reservoir. Individual PAHs at saturation were tested using passive dosing and in comparison with nominal spiking. Additionally, a recreated mixture of PAHs reflecting the field composition of the sediment pore water was tested with passive dosing. PAHs revealed strong growth inhibiting effects on algal growth in passive dosing tests, while nominal spiking had only slightly growth inhibiting effects in the highest concentration. The recreated PAH mixture revealed slightly inhibiting effects using passive dosing when tested with a factor of 5000 of the field concentration. This study demonstrates the superiority of passive dosing to spiking and further the successful implementation of passive dosing in the marine algae test maintaining a constant concentration for HOCs with a log KOW > 4.6.