DOSE-DEPENDENT EFFECTS ON HUMAN LUNG CELLS OF COMBUSTION-DERIVED PARTICULATE EMISSIONS (Invited Presentation)

Coal- and biomass-combusting power plants represent major emission sources of coarse, fine, and ultrafine particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere. The interactions of PM with the atmosphere and the solid Earth, its hydrosphere, and its biosphere, as well as the impacts on human health depend on particle number and size as well as on other properties, such as, chemical composition, structure, surface area, and solubility of the individual particles. These PM properties must therefore be characterized in detail. Due to the small size of the individual particles emitted through smokestacks, the particles have to be studied with a variety of methods, which include transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, several different tests need to be performed in order to assess the toxicity of such particles, which can easily enter the respiratory tract.

This presentation will provide an overview of combustion-derived PM emissions and discuss their various impacts on human lung cells in vitro. The studied cell lines include the commonly used alveolar epithelial A549 cells and bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells. The focus will be on the characterization of select types of solid particles, which are common constituents of emissions from coal and biomass combustion (e.g., metal magnetite, sulfates, chlorides), depending on factors, such as the type of fuel used, the combustion conditions, and the type of pollution-control devices applied to the flue gases. In addition, the dose-dependent in-vitro cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and tendency to form of reactive oxygen species, as well as the uptake/translocation of these particles in human lung cells will be discussed.