Characterization of chemical components and bioreactivity of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during incense burning.

K H Lui, Benjamin A Musa Bandowe, Steven Sai Hang Ho, Hsiao-Chi Chuang, Jun-Ji Cao, Kai-Jen Chuang, S C Lee, Di Hu, K F Ho

Journal: Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) 2017;213():524-532

PMID: 26994327

Abstract

The chemical and bioreactivity properties of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emitted during controlled burning of different brands of incense were characterized. Incenses marketed as being environmentally friendly emitted lower mass of PM2.5 particulates than did traditional incenses. However, the environmentally friendly incenses produced higher total concentrations of non-volatile polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and some oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAHs). Human alveolar epithelial A549 cells were exposed to the collected PM2.5, followed by determining oxidative stress and inflammation. There was moderate to strong positive correlation (R > 0.60, p < 0.05) between selected PAHs and OPAHs against oxidative-inflammatory responses. Strong positive correlation was observed between interleukin 6 (IL-6) and summation of total Group B2 PAHs/OPAHs (∑7PAHs/ΣOPAHs). The experimental data indicate that emissions from the environmentally friendly incenses contained higher concentrations of several PAH and OPAH compounds than did traditional incense. Moreover, these PAHs and OPAHs were strongly correlated with inflammatory responses. The findings suggest a need to revise existing regulation of such products.

Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Address: The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.; Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.; Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics, SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710075, China; Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512, USA.; School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: [email protected].; Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics, SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710075, China; Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.; School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.; Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, Research Center of Urban Environmental Technology and Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China.; Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.; The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics, SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710075, China; Shenzhen Municipal Key Laboratory for Health Risk Analysis, Shenzhen Research Institute of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

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