Year-long and seasonal differences of PM_2.5 chemical characteristics and their role in the viability of human lung epithelial cells (A549)

Abstract

Fine particulate matters-PM_2.5 in the air can have considerable negative effects on human health and the environment. Various human cell-based studies examined the effect of PM_2.5 on human health in different cities of the world using various chemical parameters. Unfortunately, limited information is available regarding the relationship between toxicity and chemical characteristics of PM_2.5 collected in Istanbul, Türkiye, located in one of the most populated cities in the world. To investigate the chemical characteristics and cytotoxicity of PM_2.5 in Istanbul, samples were collected for 12 months, then potentially toxic metals, oxidative potential, and particle indicators (e.g., functional groups and elements) were determined, and the cytotoxicity of PM_2.5 on human A549 lung alveolar epithelial cells was examined. The mean PM_2.5 mass concentration was 24.0 ± 17.4 µg m⁻³ and higher in cold months compared to other seasons. Moreover, the results of the metals, elemental, and functional groups indicated that seasonal and monthly characteristics were influenced by the regional anthropogenic sources and photochemistry input. The cytotoxicity results also showed that the viability of A549 cells was reduced with the exposure of PM_2.5 (30–53%) and higher cytotoxicity was obtained in summer compared to the other seasons due to the impact of the metals, elements, and oxidative characteristics of PM_2.5.

Keywords:

• Fine particulate matter
• cell viability
• particle characterization
• heavy metals
• cytotoxicity

Author contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Conceptualization, resources, material preparation, analysis, data collection, and writing were performed by Hasan Saygin and Asli Baysal. The analysis and data collection were performed by Ahu Soyocak, sampling devices were obtained by Burcu Onat. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.