title: Characterization of chemical components and bioreactivity of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during incense burning.
abstract: The chemical and bioreactivity properties of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emitted during controlled burning of different brands of incense were characterized. Incenses marketed as being environmentally friendly emitted lower mass of PM2.5 particulates than did traditional incenses. However, the environmentally friendly incenses produced higher total concentrations of non-volatile polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and some oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAHs). Human alveolar epithelial A549 cells were exposed to the collected PM2.5, followed by determining oxidative stress and inflammation. There was moderate to strong positive correlation (R > 0.60, p < 0.05) between selected PAHs and OPAHs against oxidative-inflammatory responses. Strong positive correlation was observed between interleukin 6 (IL-6) and summation of total Group B2 PAHs/OPAHs (∑7PAHs/ΣOPAHs). The experimental data indicate that emissions from the environmentally friendly incenses contained higher concentrations of several PAH and OPAH compounds than did traditional incense. Moreover, these PAHs and OPAHs were strongly correlated with inflammatory responses. The findings suggest a need to revise existing regulation of such products.
authors.affiliation: The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Benjamin A Musa
authors.initials: BAM
authors.lastname: Bandowe
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics, SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710075, China; Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512, USA.
authors.forename: Steven Sai Hang
authors.initials: SSH
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: chuanghc@tmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Hsiao-Chi
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics, SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710075, China; Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Ji
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Kai-Jen
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, Research Center of Urban Environmental Technology and Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics, SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710075, China; Shenzhen Municipal Key Laboratory for Health Risk Analysis, Shenzhen Research Institute of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China. Electronic address: kfho@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
keywords: Carbonyls; Incense; OPAHs; Oxidative stress; PAHs