Different biological effects of PM2.5 from coal combustion, gasoline exhaust and urban ambient air relate to the PAH/metal compositions

In this study, PM2.5 samples from coal combustion, gasoline exhaust and urban ambient air were analyzed for 16 PAHs and 23 metals. Cytotoxic and inflammatory effects of different PM2.5 were evaluated on differentiated THP-1 and A549 cells, respectively. We found that the coal combustion PM2.5 samples induced stronger cytotoxic and inflammatory effects (p < 0.05). Pearson’s correlation and principal component analysis showed that the PAHs containing four or more benzenoid rings and specific metals of cadmium, thallium, zinc and lead were positively related to the biological effects. Our results suggested that coal combustion PM2.5 might be a more serious health hazard. Specific PAHs and metals might be account for the PM2.5 induced biological effects.
Source: Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research