Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, CSIC, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, CSIC, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
Environ Int. 2024 Aug;190:108889. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108889. Epub 2024 Jul 18.
Air pollution is one of the most severe environmental healthhazards, and airborne nanoparticles (diameter <100 nm) are considered particularly hazardous to human health. They are produced by various sources such as internal combustion engines, wood and biomass burning, and fuel and natural gas combustion, and their origin, among other parameters, determines their intrinsic toxicity for reasons that are not yet fully understood. Many constituents of the nanoparticles are considered toxic or at least hazardous, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metal compounds, in addition to gaseous pollutants present in the aerosol fraction, such as NOx, SO and ozone. All these compounds can cause oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, inflammation in the lungs and other tissues, and cellular organelles. Epidemiological investigations concluded that airborne pollution may affect the respiratory, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Moreover, particulate matter has been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer, a carcinogenic effect not related to DNA damage, but to the cellular inflammatory response to the pollutants, in which the release of cytokines promotes the proliferation of pre-existing mutated cancer cells. The mechanisms behind toxicity can be investigated experimentally using cell cultures or animal models. Methods for gathering particulate matter have been explored, but standardized protocols are needed to ensure that the samples accurately represent chemical mixtures in the environment. Toxic constituents of nanoparticles can be studied in animal and cellular models, but designing realistic exposure settings is challenging. The air-liquid interface (ALI) system directly exposes cells, mimicking particle inhalation into the lungs. Continuous research and monitoring of nanoparticles and other airborne pollutants is essential for understanding their effects and developing active strategies to mitigate their risks to human and environmental health.
空气污染是最严重的环境健康危害之一，而空气中的纳米颗粒（直径<100nm）被认为对人类健康尤其危险。它们由各种来源产生，如内燃机、木材和生物质燃烧以及燃料和天然气燃烧，其来源等参数决定了它们内在毒性的原因尚不完全清楚。纳米颗粒的许多成分被认为是有毒的，或者至少是危险的，包括多环芳烃（PAHs）和重金属化合物，以及气溶胶部分中存在的气态污染物，如氮氧化物、硫和臭氧。所有这些化合物都可能导致氧化应激、线粒体损伤、肺部和其他组织的炎症以及细胞细胞器的损伤。流行病学调查得出结论，空气污染物可能会影响呼吸系统、心血管系统和神经系统。此外，颗粒物已被证明与肺癌风险增加有关，这种致癌作用与 DNA 损伤无关，而是与污染物引起的细胞炎症反应有关，其中细胞因子的释放促进了先前存在的突变癌细胞的增殖。毒性背后的机制可以使用细胞培养或动物模型进行实验研究。已经探索了收集颗粒物的方法，但需要标准化的协议来确保样品准确代表环境中的化学混合物。可以在动物和细胞模型中研究纳米颗粒的有毒成分，但设计现实的暴露环境具有挑战性。气液界面（ALI）系统直接暴露细胞，模拟颗粒吸入肺部。持续研究和监测纳米颗粒和其他空气污染物对于了解它们的影响以及制定减轻其对人类和环境健康风险的主动策略至关重要。
