Isolated rabbit pulmonary alveolar macrophages were found to be a convenient biological model system, relevant for studies of the toxicity of air pollutants. The phagocytic capacity and the oxygen consumption were used as test parameters and studied simultaneously on the same cells. The toxicity of extracts of airborne particles (phi less than 15 microns) collected in urban and rural areas was investigated and compared to a cigarette-smoke condensate. An extract of particles from a car tunnel was found to be the most toxic air sample, inhibiting phagocytosis as well as respiration of the macrophages at a concentration representing 5 m3 air/ml cell suspension. A corresponding sample collected on a roof of a five-storied building in the central area of a city (population 600,000) was found to inhibit phagocytosis but did not affect respiration. Further investigations revealed that one effect of the "tunnel" extract could be explained as an uncoupling of the mitochondrial respiratory control. Compared to the cigarette-smoke condensate, the toxicity of the air samples was infinitesimal.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15287398309530438 | DOI Listing |
Anal Methods
January 2025
Air Resource, Environmental Resource Planning and Management, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 440020, India.
Dioxins rank among the most hazardous persistent organic pollutants, presenting a serious threat due to their long environmental lifespan and capacity for bioaccumulation. This comprehensive review delves into the historical, chemical, and toxicological aspects of dioxins, spotlighting significant incidents such as the Seveso disaster and the repercussions of Agent Orange. The review offers a thorough analysis of the sources of dioxin formation, encompassing natural occurrences like volcanic eruptions and wildfires, alongside man-made activities such as industrial combustion and waste incineration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Technol
January 2025
Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States.
Industrialized swine facilities adversely affect the health and well-being of Eastern North Carolina residents in the U.S. and are an issue of environmental racism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIndian J Occup Environ Med
December 2024
Department of Electronics, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
Introduction: Construction sites generate high levels of air pollution, contributing to more than 4% of particulate matter in the atmosphere. Literature indicates that on-site pollution is an important factor that contributes to lung impairments in construction workers. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ADRS) are known to be exacerbated because of exposure to a variety of construction pollutants mainly particulate matter (PM10, PM2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPaediatr Perinat Epidemiol
January 2025
Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Background: Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that ambient concentrations of particulate matter < 2.5 μm (PM) are associated with reduced fecundability, the per cycle probability of conception. The specific constituents driving this association are unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdvancements in plasmonic sensing require simultaneous detection capability that ensures large-scale detection with reduced losses. In this work, we propose a new solid-core fiber-based refractive index (RI) sensor with an ultra-broad detection range. The proposed fiber consists of a relatively simple single-ring cladding with six circular tubes in which the light is guided in the core based on the inhibited-coupling (IC) mechanism.
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