title: Detrimental effects of cement mortar and fly ash mortar on asthma progression.
abstract: Currently, concrete additive materials are used worldwide to improve properties of concrete production and to reduce the total cost of the materials used in the concrete. However, the effects of exposure to various gases emitted from mortar mixed with additive materials are poorly understood. To evaluate the pattern of gas emission from cement mortar and additives, the emission levels of gas including ammonia (NH3) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured from two different mortar types, Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), and OPC with fly ash on various time points after manufacture. On days 1, 3, 10 and 30 after manufacture, moderate concentrations of NH3 (4, 9, 12 and 5 ppm) were measured in OPC mortar (24h, 150 mm × 150 mm × 50 mm), whereas higher concentrations of NH3 (73, 55, 20 and 5 ppm) were measured in OPC mortar with fly ash (24h, 150 mm × 150 mm × 50 mm). Furthermore, the concentration of VOCs was more than 10 ppm on 1, 3, and 10 days of age in OPC and OPC with fly ash mortars. To examine the mortars' allergic effects on the respiratory system, mice were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) and divided into four groups: normal, asthma control, OPC mortar and OPC mortar with fly ash. The mice were housed in corresponding group cage for 10 days with OVA challenges to induce asthma. Histopathologically, increased infiltration of lymphocytes was observed in the lung perivascular area of mice housed in OPC mortar and OPC mortar with fly ash cages compared to lungs of asthma control mice. Moreover, severe bronchial lumen obstruction and increased hypertrophy of bronchial epithelial cells (p<0.05) were observed in the OPC mortar with fly ash group compared to OPC mortar or asthma control groups. Lungs of the two mortar groups generally expressed higher levels of genes related with asthma, including IL-4, eotaxin and epidermal growth factor (EGF) compared to lungs of asthma control mice. Additionally, the OPC mortar with fly ash group showed higher expression of IL-5, 13 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) compared to the asthma control group. These results indicate that OPC mortar and OPC mortar with fly ash might exacerbate asthma.
authors.affiliation: Biosafety Research Institute and Laboratory of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ara
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hong-Seok
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Yoon Seok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.forename: Hee Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: A F S M
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Talha
authors.forename: Seung-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: Chae Woong
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Bumseok
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D060729:Coal Ash / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005740:Gases / Q000032:analysis; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D010316:Particle Size; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D060729:Coal Ash; D005740:Gases; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D000641:Ammonia; D010047:Ovalbumin; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Asthma; Cement mortar; Fly ash; Mice; NH(3)