10th International Aerosol Conference September 2 - September 7, 2018 America's Center Convention Complex St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Oxidative Potential and Cellular Oxidant Production from Biomass Burning Aerosol
Wing-Yin Tuet, Nilmara de Oliveira Alves, Shierly Fok, Dong Gao, Paulo Artaxo, Perola Vasconcellos, Julie Champion, Rodney J. Weber, NGA LEE NG, Georgia Institute of Technology
Abstract Number: 1511 Working Group: Aerosols and Health - Connecting the Dots
Abstract Biomass burning emissions in the Amazon region drastically change the composition of the atmosphere and may have negative effects on human health. Exposure to inhalable particulate matter (PM) has been associated with increased cardiopulmonary health risks. Results from toxicology studies suggest that PM-induced oxidant production, including reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS), may be a possible mechanism by which PM exposure results in adverse health outcomes.
Here, we present chemical oxidative potential and cellular oxidant measurements from biomass burning PM samples collected in the southwestern part of the Brazilian Amazon region during the dry and wet seasons (n = 41). The dithiothreitol (DTT) assay was utilized to measure the concentration of redox-active species present in each sample. Murine alveolar macrophages were also exposed to PM extracts for 24 hrs and the resulting ROS/RNS produced as a result of exposure was measured. For all samples regardless of season, a significant positive correlation was observed between ROS/RNS levels and monosaccharide anhydride concentrations, such as levoglucosan. While levoglucosan itself was found to be non-toxic, these results suggest it may serve as an indicator of biomass burning aerosol health effects. Correlations between ROS/RNS production and the concentrations of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as well as their oxygenated and nitrogenated derivatives, were also examined. Taken together, these results suggest the possible role of PM-induced oxidative/nitrosative stress, which may affect human health.