Risk Is In The Air”: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Metals And Mutagenicity Of Atmospheric Particulate Matter In A Town Of Northern Italy (Respira Study)

Publication date: Available online 16 November 2018Source: Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental MutagenesisAuthor(s): Donatella Feretti, Roberta Pedrazzani, Elisabetta Ceretti, Mario Dal Grande, Ilaria Zerbini, Gaia Claudia Viviana Viola, Umberto Gelatti, Francesco Donato, Claudia ZaniAbstractAir pollution has well-known harmful effects on human beings, causing both acute and chronic diseases. Some data suggest that genetic damage occurring early in life may influence the risk of having cancer and other chronic diseases in adulthood. Therefore, there is a growing interest in studying the genotoxic activity of air pollution, and especially particulate matter. The aim of this study was to analyze airborne particulate matter (PM10) collected in an industrialized town of Northern Italy. PM10 was sampled in six areas of the town, divided in three distinct dimensional classes (<0.5 µm; 0.5-3 µm and 3-10 µm), and analyzed for the quantification of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and metals contents. A model-based approach using diagnostic ratios and toxic equivalency factor was also followed. Concurrently, biological assays were performed for the assessment of mutagenicity and genotoxicity in bacteria, human and plant cells. Mutagenicity was observed in bacteria and human cells, with a clear dose-response relationship, induced above all by the finest PM samples (PM0.5 and PM0.5-3), which contained the largest number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon...
Source: Mutation Research Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research