title: Toxicological evaluation of realistic emission source aerosols (TERESA)-power plant studies: assessment of cellular responses.
abstract: The Toxicological Evaluation of Realistic Emission Source Aerosols (TERESA) project assessed primary and secondary particulate by simulating the chemical reactions that a plume from a source might undergo during atmospheric transport and added other atmospheric constituents that might interact with it. Three coal-fired power plants with different coal and different emission controls were used. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed for 6 h to either filtered air or aged aerosol from the power plant. Four exposure scenarios were studied: primary particles (P); primary + secondary (oxidized) particles (PO); primary + secondary (oxidized) particles + SOA (POS); and primary + secondary (oxidized) particles neutralized + SOA (PONS). Exposure concentrations varied by scenario to a maximum concentration of 257.1 ± 10.0 μg/m(3). Twenty-four hours after exposure, pulmonary cellular responses were assessed by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), complete blood count (CBC), and histopathology. Exposure to the PONS and POS scenarios produced significant increases in BAL total cells and macrophage numbers at two plants. The PONS and P scenarios were associated with significant increases in BAL neutrophils and the presence of occasional neutrophils and increased macrophages in the airways and alveoli of exposed animals. Univariate analyses and random forest analyses showed that increases in total cell count and macrophage cell count were significantly associated with neutralized sulfate and several correlated measurements. Increases in neutrophils in BAL were associated with zinc. There were no significant differences in CBC parameters or blood vessel wall thickness by histopathology. The association between neutrophils increases and zinc raises the possibility that metals play a role in this response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. jgodlesk@hsph.harvard.edu
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Godleski
authors.forename: Edgar A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Tarun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Choong-Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Brent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coull
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D002452:Cell Count; D003031:Coal; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*; D011210:Power Plants; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D003031:Coal; D052638:Particulate Matter