Estimating Health Impacts on Major Streets Using Oxidative Potential of Particulates

Contrasts in Oxidative Potential and Other PM Characteristics Collected Near Major Streets and Background Locations (32 page pdf, Hanna Boogaard, Nicole A.H. Janssen, Paul H. Fischer, Gerard P.A. Kos, Ernie P. Weijers, Flemming R. Cassee, Saskia C. van der Zee, Jeroen J. de Hartog, Bert Brunekreef, Gerard Hoek, Environ Health Perspect, Oct. 20, 2011)

Today’s review article looks at how particulates near heavy traffic on major streets generates hydroxyl radicals and how this in turn may be a better measure of health impacts than simply monitoring PM 2.5 or PM 10. The results indicate the oxidative potential near heavy traffic was 4 to 6 times greater than in suburban locations.



Key Quotes:

“Measuring the oxidative potential of airborne particulate matter (PM) may provide a more health-based exposure measure by integrating various biologically relevant properties of PM into a single predictor of biological activity…Oxidative potential was measured as the ability to generate hydroxyl radicals in the presence of hydrogen peroxide”

“High levels of oxidative stress lead to inflammatory response via activation of various transcription factors and stimulation of cytokine production”

“The eight street locations had a traffic intensity varying between approximately 10 000 and 19 000 motor vehicles passing every 24 hours”

“The highest oxidative potential contrasts were found for two streets that were classified as street canyons ..narrow streets with adjoining high buildings on both sides”

“We reported high correlations between the oxidative potential of PM10 and the concentration of the transition metals Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn and ‘soot’ in the PM10 fraction”

““The oxidative potential of PM near major urban roads was highly elevated compared to urban and suburban background locations.. 3.6 times higher than that of simultaneously measured PM10 from urban background locations, and 6.5 times higher than PM10 from suburban locations”

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