Exposure and Toxicity Assessment of Ultrafine Particles from Nearby Traffic in Urban Air in Seoul, Korea

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the particle mass size distribution and chemical properties of air pollution particulate matter (PM) in the urban area and its capacity to induce cytotoxicity in human bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cells. METHODS: To characterize the mass size distributions and chemical concentrations associated with urban PM, PM samples were collected by a 10-stage Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor close to nearby traffic in an urban area from December 2007 to December 2009. PM samples for in vitro cytotoxicity testing were collected by a mini-volume air sampler with PM10 and PM2.5 inlets. RESULTS: The PM size distributions were bi-modal, peaking at 0.18 to 0.32 and 1.8 to 3.2 microm. The mass concentrations of the metals in fine particles (0.1 to 1.8 microm) accounted for 45.6 to 80.4% of the mass concentrations of metals in PM10. The mass proportions of fine particles of the pollutants related to traffic emission, lead (80.4%), cadmium (69.0%), and chromium (63.8%) were higher than those of other metals. Iron was the dominant transition metal in the particles, accounting for 64.3% of the PM10 mass in all the samples. We observed PM concentration-dependent cytotoxic effects on BEAS-2B cells. CONCLUSIONS: We found that exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 from a nearby traffic area induced significant increases in protein expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-8). The cell death rate and release of cytokines in response to the PM2.5 treatment were higher than those with PM10. The combined results support the hypothesis that ultrafine particles from vehicular sources can induce inflammatory responses related to environmental respiratory injury.

An Analysis of Transition Metals in Tissues with Characteristic X-rays, NMR and ESR (Report II) / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

A large number of minor elements consists in being with the metalloenzyme and are essential to activation and structural support of the enzyme.<br>It is well known that most of the metal ions are transitional and their functions are similar to enzymes and it displays higher catalysis connected with protein. Needles for acupuncture are made of transition metals.<br>We have insisted that it is indispensable for our study to understand actions of acupuncture in an organism to be caused by ionization of acupuncture components and to research its being form of metal ion in an organism from the viewpoint of physiological chemistry and biochemistry.<br>In this paper, we make a report of movements of Cation in the muscle and the skin induced by an Au-needle. We analyzed it by characteristic X-rays, NMR and ESR.<br>1. Being inserted the Au-needle in the muscle, it is able to lyse large PPM of ion.<br>2. The ion is transferred from the anode to the cathode of the Au-needle inserted in the muscle.<br>3. There are two different tissues successively in the muscle; one has the loci which Au-ion is easy to flow into and the other has the loci which the Au-ion is difficult to flow into.<br>4. The amount of ionization caused by ionization of the Au-needle did not follow the rule of Faraday's electrolysis.<br>5. A distributive equation of ion caused by ionization of the Au-needle is this;<br>I≈10.45(-X)^0.46<br>I=distributive amount of diffusion<br>X=distance from the punctured point<br>6. Diffusing speed (V) of the intramuscular Au-ion was this in average;<br>0.6 (mm/min)≤V≤0.9 (mm/min)<br>7. The intramuscular Au-ion must not really transfer each other for the various materials in the muscle. We were not able to find any Au (III).<br>8. The intramuscular ion must not have any asymmetrical electron.