Relationship Between Redox Activity and Chemical Speciation of Size-fractionated Particulate Matter

Overview

Journal Part Fibre Toxicol

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Toxicology

Date 2007 Jun 9

PMID 17555562

Citations 42

Authors

Leonidas Ntziachristos

John R Froines

Arthur K Cho

Constantinos Sioutas

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Although the mechanisms of airborne particulate matter (PM) related health effects remain incompletely understood, one emerging hypothesis is that these adverse effects derive from oxidative stress, initiated by the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within affected cells. Typically, ROS are formed in cells through the reduction of oxygen by biological reducing agents, with the catalytic assistance of electron transfer enzymes and redox active chemical species such as redox active organic chemicals and metals. The purpose of this study was to relate the electron transfer ability, or redox activity, of the PM samples to their content in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and various inorganic species. The redox activity of the samples has been shown to correlate with the induction of the stress protein, hemeoxygenase-1.

Results: Size-fractionated (i.e. < 0.15; < 2.5 and 2.5 - 10 microm in diameter) ambient PM samples were collected from four different locations in the period from June 2003 to July 2005, and were chemically analyzed for elemental and organic carbon, ions, elements and trace metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The redox activity of the samples was evaluated by means of the dithiothreitol activity assay and was related to their chemical speciation by means of correlation analysis. Our analysis indicated a higher redox activity on a per PM mass basis for ultrafine (< 0.15 microm) particles compared to those of larger sizes. The PM redox activity was highly correlated with the organic carbon (OC) content of PM as well as the mass fractions of species such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and selected metals.

Conclusion: The results of this work demonstrate the utility of the dithiothreitol assay for quantitatively assessing the redox potential of airborne particulate matter from a wide range of sources. Studies to characterize the redox activity of PM from various sources throughout the Los Angeles basin are currently underway.

Citing Articles

Impact of Emission Standards on Fine Particulate Matter Toxicity: A Long-Term Analysis in Los Angeles.

Badami M, Aghaei Y, Sioutas C Toxics. 2025; 13(2).

PMID: 39997955 PMC: 11861624. DOI: 10.3390/toxics13020140.

Multiphase Radical Chemical Processes Induced by Air Pollutants and the Associated Health Effects.

Wang Q, Song H, Dong H, Guo S, Yao M, Wan Y Environ Health (Wash). 2025; 3(1):1-13.

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Effects of PM exposure on clock gene and cell cycle in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Shen H, Gong M, Zhang M, Sun S, Zheng R, Yan Q Toxicol Res (Camb). 2024; 13(1):tfae022.

PMID: 38419835 PMC: 10898333. DOI: 10.1093/toxres/tfae022.

Association between Particulate Matter Pollution Concentration and Hospital Admissions for Hypertension in Ganzhou, China.

Li C, Zhou X, Huang K, Zhang X, Gao Y Int J Hypertens. 2022; 2022:7413115.

PMID: 35223092 PMC: 8872648. DOI: 10.1155/2022/7413115.

Impact of different sources on the oxidative potential of ambient particulate matter PM in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A focus on dust emissions.

Altuwayjiri A, Pirhadi M, Kalafy M, Alharbi B, Sioutas C Sci Total Environ. 2021; 806(Pt 2):150590.

PMID: 34597581 PMC: 8907835. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150590.

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