Reduction of particulate air pollution lowers the risk of heritable mutations in mice.
Urban and industrial air pollution can cause elevated heritable mutation rates in birds and rodents. The relative importance of airborne particulate matter versus gas-phase substances in causing these genetic effects under ambient conditions has been unclear. Here we show that high-efficiency particulate-air (HEPA) filtration of ambient air significantly reduced heritable mutation rates at repetitive DNA loci in laboratory mice housed outdoors near a major highway and two integrated steel mills. These findings implicate exposure to airborne particulate matter as a principal factor contributing to elevated mutation rates in sentinel mice and add to accumulating evidence that air pollution may pose genetic risks to humans and wildlife.
Somers
Christopher M
CM
Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
McCarry
Brian E
BE
Malek
Farideh
F
Quinn
James S
JS
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D007221:Industry; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D051379:Mice; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D009864:Ontario; D010316:Particle Size; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013232:Steel; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences
D000393:Air Pollutants; D009153:Mutagens; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D013232:Steel