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. 2023 Jan 7;11(1):59.
doi: 10.3390/toxics11010059.

Size-Resolved Redox Activity and Cytotoxicity of Water-Soluble Urban Atmospheric Particulate Matter: Assessing Contributions from Chemical Components

Athanasios Besis  1 , Maria Pia Romano  2 , Eleni Serafeim  1 , Anna Avgenikou  1 , Athanasios Kouras  1 , Maria Giulia Lionetto  3 , Maria Rachele Guascito  3   4 , Anna Rita De Bartolomeo  3 , Maria Elena Giordano  3 , Annarosa Mangone  5 , Daniele Contini  4 , Constantini Samara  1
Affiliations

Size-Resolved Redox Activity and Cytotoxicity of Water-Soluble Urban Atmospheric Particulate Matter: Assessing Contributions from Chemical Components

Athanasios Besis et al. Toxics. .

Abstract

Throughout the cold and the warm periods of 2020, chemical and toxicological characterization of the water-soluble fraction of size segregated particulate matter (PM) (<0.49, 0.49−0.95, 0.95−1.5, 1.5−3.0, 3.0−7.2 and >7.2 μm) was conducted in the urban agglomeration of Thessaloniki, northern Greece. Chemical analysis of the water-soluble PM fraction included water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), humic-like substances (HULIS), and trace elements (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb). The bulk (sum of all size fractions) concentrations of HULIS were 2.5 ± 0.5 and 1.2 ± 0.3 μg m−3, for the cold and warm sampling periods, respectively with highest values in the <0.49 μm particle size fraction. The total HULIS-C/WSOC ratio ranged from 17 to 26% for all sampling periods, confirming that HULIS are a significant part of WSOC. The most abundant water-soluble metals were Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn. The oxidative PM activity was measured abiotically using the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. In vitro cytotoxic responses were investigated using mitochondrial dehydrogenase (MTT). A significant positive correlation was found between OPmDTT, WSOC, HULIS and the MTT cytotoxicity of PM. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) showed a good relationship between OPMDTT, HULIS and Cu.

Keywords: DTT assay; HULIS; MTT assay; WSOC; water soluble elements.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Average concentrations of: (a) WSOC; (b) HULIS-C; (c) HULIS; (d) HULIS-C/WSOC ratio; in various size fractions during cold and warm periods (Error bars show min and max).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Average concentrations of water-soluble elements (cold and warm periods).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Average concentrations of: (a) OPmDTT; (b) OPVDTT in various size fractions during the cold and warm periods (Error bars show min and max).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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