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EFFECTS OF METAL COMPONENTS IN CONCENTRATED AMBIENT AIR PARTICLES ON PULMONARY INJURY
Citation:
Huang, YuhChin T, J. Stonehuerner, J Carter, A. Ghio, AND R. B. Devlin. EFFECTS OF METAL COMPONENTS IN CONCENTRATED AMBIENT AIR PARTICLES ON PULMONARY INJURY. Presented at American Thoracic Society Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, May 18-23, 2001.
Description:
EFFECTS OF METAL COMPONENTS IN CONCENTRATED AMBIENT AIR PARTICLES ON PULMONARY INJURY. Yuh-Chin Huang, Jackie Stonehuerner, Jackie Carter, Andrew J. Ghio, Robert B. Devlin. NHEERL, US EPA, RTP, NC.
The mechanisms for cardiopulmonary morbidity associated with exposure to air pollution particulate matter (PM) are unclear. It is also unclear which chemical properties of PM increase risk. We have shown that exposure of healthy volunteers to concentrated ambient air particles (CAPS) < 2.5 mm is associated with alveolar inflammation. In the present study, we sought to determine the contribution of metals in CAPS to alveolar inflammation. Thirty-six healthy volunteers (age 18-40) were exposed to either filtered air or CAPS for 2 hours with intermittent exercise on a cycle ergometer in a chamber. The subjects then underwent bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) 18 hours later. Cell counts, IL-6, IL-8, fibrinogen, PGE2, total protein, nitrite/nitrate, protein carbonyls, leukotriene B4 and macrophage inflammatory protein-1a in BAL fluid were measured. Four transition metals in CAPS (Fe, Zn, V, Cu) were analyzed by the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Particle mass in CAPS ranged from 0 to 311.1 mg/m3. Stepwise linear regression analyses with forward elimination using Fe, Zn, V and Cu as independent variables are shown in the following table ((+): positive correlation; (-): inverse correlation).
Metal Concentration (ng/m3) Measurement endpoints
Fe 0 - 409.5 % neutrophils (+), protein carbonyls (+)
Zn 2.9 - 179.4 IL-8 (-)
V 0 - 11.3 % macrophages (-)
Cu 0.3 - 75.0 Fibrinogen (-)
These results indicate that metal components mediate specific lung responses during exposure to CAPS, and that the lung toxicity of PM may vary with its metal content.
This is a proposed presentation and does not necessarily reflect EPA policy.