Human-Cell Mutagens in Respirable Airborne Particles in the Northeastern United States. 1. Mutagenicity of Fractionated Samples
Abstract
Few studies have characterized the regional scale (300−500 km) variability of the mutagenicity of respirable airborne particles (PM_(2.5)). We previously collected 24-h PM_(2.5) samples for 1 year from background, suburban, and urban sites in Massachusetts (MA) and rural and urban sites in upstate New York (NY) (n = 53−60 samples per site). Bimonthly composites of these samples were mutagenic to human cells. The present report describes our effort to identify chemical classes responsible for the mutagenicity of the samples, to quantify spatial differences in mutagenicity, and to compare the mutagenicity of samples composited in different ways. Organic extracts and HPLC fractions (two nonpolar, one semipolar, and one polar) of annual composites were tested for mutagenicity in the h1A1v2 cells, a line of human B-lymphoblastoid cells that express cytochrome P450 CYP1A1 cDNA. The mutagenic potency (induced mutant fraction per μg organic carbon) of the semipolar fractions was the highest at all five sites, accounting for 35−82% of total mutagenic potency of the samples, vs the nonpolar (4−38%) and polar (14−32%) fractions. These results are consistent with previous studies. While unfractionated extracts exhibited no spatial variations, the mutagenicity of semipolar fractions at the NY sites was ∼2-fold higher than at the MA sites. This suggests there may be significant regional differences in the sources and/or transport and transformation of mutagenic compounds in PM_(2.5). In addition, mutagenic potency was sensitive to whether samples were fractionated and how they were composited: unfractionated annual composite samples at the NY sites were significantly less mutagenic than their semipolar fractions and the annual average of bimonthly composites; spatial differences in the mutagenic potency of bimonthly composites and the semipolar fractions were not apparent in the annual composites.
Additional Information
© 2004 American Chemical Society. Received for review July 7, 2003. Revised manuscript received October 28, 2003. Accepted November 11, 2003. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the many contributions of Dr. Glen Cass. Glen dedicated his professional life to the study and practice of air pollution research, policy, and education. His expertise included ambient air quality and air pollutant source emissions, design of regional air pollution control strategies, health effects of air pollutants, environmental economics, and policy analysis. Glen died in August of 2001, leaving behind a legacy of students and colleagues who share his passion for air pollution research and education. His enthusiasm and leadership are greatly missed. Lawrence Donhoffner and Lita Doza-Corpus performed the human-cell assays, and Koli Taghizadeh and Elaine Plummer provided support with analytical techniques. Funding for this study was provided by the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences: Mutagenic Effects of Air Toxicants grant (P01-ESO7168), Superfund Hazardous Substances Basic Research grant (SF P42-ESO4675), and MIT CEHS Core grant (P30-ESO2109).Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 67732
- DOI
- 10.1021/es0347282
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20160607-121645846
- P01-ESO7168
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- SF P42-ESO4675
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- P30-ESO2109
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- Created
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2016-06-07Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-11Created from EPrint's last_modified field