title: Genotoxicity and composition of particulate matter from biomass burning in the eastern Brazilian Amazon region.
abstract: In the present study Tradescantia pallida micronucleus (Trad-MCN) bioassay was used to assess the genotoxicity of particulate matter with a mass median aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm (PM₁₀) in Tangara da Serra (MT), a Brazilian Amazon region that suffers the impact of biomass burning. The levels of PM (coarse and fine size fractions) and black carbon (BC) collected were also measured. Furthermore, the alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were identified and quantified in the samples taken during the burning period by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). The PM and BC results for both fractions indicate a strong correlation (p < 0.001). The analysis of alkanes indicates an anthropic influence. Retene was the most abundant PAH found, an indicator of biomass burning, and 12 other PAHs considered to be potentially mutagenic and/or carcinogenic were identified in this sample. The Trad-MCN bioassay showed a significant increase in micronucleus frequency during the period of most intense burning, possibly related to the mutagenic PAHs that were found in such extracts. This study demonstrated that Trad-MCN was sensitive and efficient in evaluating the genotoxicity of organic compounds from biomass burning. It further emphasizes the importance of performing chemical analysis, because changes in chemical composition generally have a negative effect on many living organisms. This bioassay (ex situ), using T. pallida with chemical analysis, is thus recommended for characterizing the genotoxicity of air pollution.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nilmara
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Alves
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Matos Loureiro
authors.forename: Fernando Cavalcante
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.forename: Kátia Halter
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Rivanildo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dallacort
authors.forename: Pérola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Castro Vasconcellos
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Souza Hacon
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Artaxo
authors.forename: Silvia Regina Batistuzzo
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: de Medeiros
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D000473:Alkanes / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry; D018533:Biomass; D001938:Brazil; D004249:DNA Damage; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005390:Fires; D009153:Mutagens / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D053260:Soot / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D034823:Tradescantia / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000473:Alkanes; D009153:Mutagens; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D053260:Soot