A Real-World Approach to In-Vitro Lung Epithelial Cell Toxicology of Atmospheric Air Pollutants
CYNTHIA PHAM, Ryan Huff, Davi de Ferreyro Monticelli, Chris Carlsten, Naomi Zimmerman,
University of British Columbia Abstract Number: 237
Working Group: Health-Related Aerosols
AbstractExposure to atmospheric air pollution is a major global health risk. However, our understanding of the toxicological effects of air pollution is generally limited to controlled laboratory experiments that do not truly represent the ambient air we breathe where complex reactions and mixtures exist. To close the knowledge gap, we deployed a cell air-liquid-interface exposure instrument (Cultex-RFS) in a mobile laboratory (Portable Laboratory for Understanding human-Made Emissions, PLUME Van) using human lung epithelial cells to determine the direct effects of the inhalation of ambient air pollution, focusing on the Greater Vancouver area in British Columbia, Canada. The cell exposure instrument is coupled with real-time analytical instruments such as standard gas analyzers (CO, NOx, O3; Teledyne T300U and 2B Technologies Models 714 and 205), a VOC analyzer (SRI 8610C GC-FID), and particle sizers and counters covering the inhalable particulate matter size range (fast mobility particle sizer (FMPS, TSI 3091), water condensation particle counter (WCPC, TSI 3789), optical particle sizer (OPS, TSI 3330)), along with offline chemical composition analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). With these instruments within a portable space, there are substantially enhanced possibilities for the exploration of the health effects of real-world pollutants. Here we discuss results of preliminary campaigns in Spring-Summer 2023 targeting wildfire episodes in BC along with exposure characterization in high-traffic urban environments. By understanding this toxicology under atmospheric conditions, relevant conclusions can be made to impact policies and regulations.