Design and testing of Electrostatic Aerosol in Vitro Exposure System (EAVES): an alternative exposure system for particles.

Conventional in vitro exposure methods for cultured human lung cells rely on prior suspension of particles in a liquid medium; these have limitations for exposure intensity and may modify the particle composition. Here electrostatic precipitation was used as an effective method for such in vitro exposures. An obsolete electrostatic aerosol sampler was modified to provide a viable environment within the deposition field for human lung cells grown on membranous support. Particle deposition and particle-induced toxicological effects for a variety of particles including standardized polystyrene latex spheres (PSL) and diesel exhaust emission particle mixtures are reported. The Electrostatic Aerosol in Vitro Exposure System (EAVES) efficiently deposited particles from an air stream directly onto cells. Cells exposed to the electric field of the EAVES in clean air or in the presence of charged PSL spheres exhibited minimal cytotoxicity, and their release of inflammatory cytokines was indistinguishable from that of the controls. For the responses tested here, there are no significant adverse effects caused neither by the electric field alone nor by the mildly charged particles. Exposure to diesel exhaust emissions using the EAVES system induced a threefold increase in cytokines and cytotoxicity as compared to the control. Taken together, these data show that the EAVES can be used to expose human lung cells directly to particles without prior collection in media, thereby providing an efficient and effective alternative to the more conventional particle in vitro exposure methods.

Surfactant-enhanced solubilization and anaerobic biodegradation of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethane (DDT) in contaminated soil.

The hydrophobic pesticide 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethane (DDT) is a persistent contaminant in soils and sediments, although it has long been known to be biodegradable under anaerobic conditions. Addition of a nonionic surfactant was evaluated as a means of enhancing the solubilization, potential bioavailability, and anaerobic biodegradability of DDT and its metabolites--1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethane (DDD) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (DDE)--in an aged contaminated soil. Approximately 12 mg surfactant/g soil was required before concentrations greater than the critical micelle concentration were observed in the liquid phase in soil microcosms. At greater doses, solubilization of each DDT, DDD, and DDE isomer increased linearly with the surfactant dose. Solubilization data were consistent with equilibrium models that account for simultaneous partitioning of hydrophobic compounds between the aqueous, soil, and pseudomicellar phases. Significantly greater rates and extents of DDT degradation were observed in anaerobic microcosms that were regularly fed a cellulose substrate or amended with surfactant (with or without cellulose) relative to controls. The surfactant substantially increased the rate of DDT degradation during the first 9 weeks, although there were no significant differences between cellulose-fed microcosms and surfactant-amended microcosms after 31 weeks. In addition, DDD accumulated at less than stoichiometric amounts in surfactant-amended microcosms, whereas DDD accumulated nearly stoichiometrically with DDT loss in all other microcosms. Concentrations of DDE were unchanged throughout the course of the microcosm experiment.