title: Composition and effects of inhalable size fractions of atmospheric aerosols in the polluted atmosphere. Part II. In vitro biological potencies.
abstract: Exposure to particulate matter (PM) in ambient air has been shown to lead to adverse health consequences. Six size fractions of PM with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10μm (PM10) and gas phase were collected at six localities with different major pollution sources. Extracts of samples were assessed for AhR-mediated toxicity, (anti-)estrogenicity, (anti-)androgenicity and genotoxicity. The biological responses were interpreted relative to chemical characterization. Historically, for regulatory purposes, evaluation of air pollution was based mainly on assessment of the sum of PM10. In the case of AhR-mediated activity, PM1 was responsible for more than 75% of the activity of the particulate fraction from all localities. The assessed effects were correlated with concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), organic carbon content and specific surface area of the PM. A significant proportion of biologically active chemicals seems to be present in the gas phase of air. The results suggest that an average daily exposure based just on the concentrations of contaminants contained in PM10, as regulated in EU legislation so far, is not a sufficient indicator of contaminants in air particulates and adoption of standards more similar to other countries and inclusion of other parameters besides mass should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Masaryk University, RECETOX - Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Faculty of Science, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic. Electronic address: novakj@recetox.muni.cz.
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Novák
authors.affiliation: Masaryk University, RECETOX - Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Faculty of Science, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Klára
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hilscherová
authors.affiliation: Masaryk University, RECETOX - Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Faculty of Science, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Landlová
authors.affiliation: Masaryk University, RECETOX - Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Faculty of Science, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Čupr
authors.affiliation: Masaryk University, RECETOX - Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Faculty of Science, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Lukáš
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kohút
authors.affiliation: Dept. Biomedical Veterinary Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; Zoology Department, Center for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI 48823, United States; Biology and Chemistry Department, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Giesy
authors.affiliation: Masaryk University, RECETOX - Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Faculty of Science, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klánová
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D000728:Androgens / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry*; D001681:Biological Assay; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004249:DNA Damage; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D020847:Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D001239:Inhalation; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000633:toxicity; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000819:agonists
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D000728:Androgens; D020847:Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon
keywords: Antiandrogenicity; Dioxin-like toxicity; Estrogenicity; Genotoxicity; PM size fractions