Characterization and bioreactivity of respirable airborne particles from a municipal landfill.

With an increasing population and greater pressure on land-use, the possible problems of landfilling are of increasing concern. These concerns include the possible adverse health effects arising from living in the vicinity of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. Human exposure to potential landfill emissions by respiratory, gastrointestinal or dermal mechanisms warrants further investigation. PM10 and PM2.5 from a UK landfill were physicochemically characterized and their bioreactivity screened by a plasmid scission assay in comparison with an urban PM collection. Preliminary data from human toxicology pathway-specific microarrays indicate landfill PM10 presents a comparable geobiological insult to urban PM10 in a human tracheobronchial tissue model.