Chemical Oxidative Potential and Cellular Oxidative Stress from Open Biomass Burning Aerosol

Abstract

Particulate matter (PM) exposure is a leading global human health risk. In this study, water-soluble oxidative potential (OP) and intracellular reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) production were measured for open biomass burning aerosol collected from the Brazilian Amazon. Compared to ambient samples collected from Atlanta and laboratory-generated secondary organic aerosol (SOA), biomass burning aerosol had comparable OP and induced higher levels of ROS/RNS. Compared to regressed OP ranges for biomass burning factors resolved using source apportionment in prior studies, the samples investigated in this study spanned a wider OP range, suggesting that concentration addition may not be applicable for OP measurements. The discrepancy between ROS/RNS estimated using laboratory polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) solution mixtures and ROS/RNS measured for the water-soluble hydrophobic fraction of Amazon filter samples further supports this conclusion. These results have important implications as...