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Comparative chemistry and toxicity of combustion emissions from biomass and synthetic materials
Citation:
Gilmour, Ian. Comparative chemistry and toxicity of combustion emissions from biomass and synthetic materials. Analytica Conference, Munich, GERMANY, June 23, 2022.
Impact/Purpose:
Finally, data from these studies are being applied in non-targeted clustering algorithms to understand how different chemical signatures or classes are associated with distinct phenoypic endpoints. This approach provides a good platform for pulmonary toxicity testing of different combustion emissions and endpoints that are being compared to high throughput testing of cell based systems in the hope that this predictive toxicity testing may be validated and replaced with non-animal testing systems
Description:
Exposure to smoke from combustion of biomass (oak, eucalyptus, pine, peat) or synthetic materials (plastic, plywood cardboard) is associated with health effects including reduced respiratory function and increased pulmonary inflammation, although differences attributable to fuel types and combustion conditions, and their subsequent chemistries have not been well defined. We have developed a laboratory based furnace system that can combust different fuels or other flammable substrates under flaming or smoldering conditions with subsequent inhalation delivery to mice. Smoke emissions are extensively analyzed for a suite of chemicals and health effects are monitored following a one hour exposure to either the whole or filtered smoke. Pulmonary function is measured before, during and after inhalation exposure and numerous markers of pulmonary injury and inflammation are assessed either 4 or 24 hours after exposure. Condensates from these combustion emissions are also tested for mutagenic potential in the “Ames assay“ and the potency compared either by relative mass of condensate or by calculated emission factor. We found that of the biomass fuels, eucalyptus and peat had more potent effects on pulmonary function and inflammation that the other fuels (oak and pine) and these effects were amplified with exposure to flaming smoke. Plastic had the most potent effects of the synthetic materials combusted and again flaming conditions presented the highest effects.