POTENTIAL CELL LINE TOXICITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL NANOPARTICLES

Abstract

In India, the unprecedented growth rate and urbanization along with the rapid increase in motor vehicle activity and industrialization are contributing to high levels of urban air pollution. The population is mainly exposed to high air pollution concentrations, where motor vehicle emissions constitute the main source of fine and ultrafine particles. Motor exhaust emissions is a mixture of gases and Particulate Matter (PM). Diesel and petrol fuels in vehicles produce combustion-derived particles as a result of combustion. Vehicle exhaust particles are the main constituents of environmental nanoparticles. In the present investigation, environmental nanoparticles such as Diesel Exhaust Particles (DEP) and Petrol Exhaust Particles (PEP) were collected from on-road vehicles using a specially designed collection chamber. The surface morphology of the collected particles was analyzed through Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), and the elemental mapping was performed through EDAX analysis. Results indicated the presence of nanometer-size particles in both the categories of vehicle exhaust. These small-size particles of respirable range can enter the respiratory tract of humans and get deposited in the lungs and cause various effects inside the human body. The aim of this study is to assess the cytotoxicity of the collected Diesel Exhaust Nanoparticles (DENPs) and Petrol Exhaust Nanoparticles (PENPs). Cytotoxicity endpoint, such as IC50 (50% Inhibitory Concentration), was determined after a 24-h exposure. Results of this study indicated that all five cell lines were sensitive to these vehicle exhaust nanoparticles at varying levels.