US EPA

3861413 

Journal Article 

Comparative toxicity and endocrine disruption potential of urban and rural atmospheric organic PM1 in JEG-3 human placental cells 

van Drooge, BL; Marqueño, A; Grimalt, JO; Fernández, P; Porte, C 

2017 

Yes 

Environmental Pollution
ISSN: 0269-7491
EISSN: 1873-6424 

Elsevier Ltd 

OXFORD 

230 

378-386 

English 

28672150 

10.1016/j.envpol.2017.06.025 

WOS:000412250900040 

Outdoor ambient air particulate matter and air pollution are related to adverse effects on human health. The present study assesses the cytotoxicity and ability to disrupt aromatase activity of organic PM1 extracts from rural and urban areas at equivalent air volumes from 2 to 30 m(3), in human placental JEG-3 cells. Samples were chemically analyzed for particle bounded organic compounds with endocrine disrupting potential, i.e. PAH, O-PAH, phthalate esters, but also for organic molecular tracer compounds for the emission source identification. Rural samples collected in winter were cytotoxic at the highest concentration tested and strongly inhibited aromatase activity in JEG-3 cells. No cytotoxicity was detected in summer samples from the rural site and the urban samples, while aromatase activity was moderately inhibited in these samples. In the urban area, the street site samples, collected close to intensive traffic, showed stronger inhibition of aromatase activity than the samples simultaneously collected at a roof site, 50 m above ground level. The cytotoxicity and endocrine disruption potential of the samples were linked to combustion products, i.e. PAH and O-PAH, especially from biomass burning in the rural site in winter. 

PM1; organic air pollution; biomass burning; human placental JEG 3 cells; cytotoxicity; endocrine disruption