Laura Massolo

Increased asthma and respiratory symptoms in children exposed to petrochemical pollution.

BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies show statistical associations between levels of air pollutants and respiratory outcomes. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine the effects of exposure to petrochemical pollution on the respiratory health of children. METHODS Children aged 6 to 12 years living close to the petrochemical plants in La Plata, Argentina (n = 282), were compared with those living in a region with exposure to heavy traffic (n = 270) or in 2 relatively nonpolluted areas (n = 639). Parents answered a validated questionnaire providing health and demographic data. A random sample (n = 181) had lung function measured. Particulate matter and outdoor and indoor volatile organic compound levels were measured during 4-week study periods and reported as overall means for each study area. RESULTS Children living near the petrochemical plant had more asthma (24.8% vs 10.1% to 11.5%), more asthma exacerbations (6.7 vs 2.9-3.6 per year), more respiratory symptoms (current wheeze, dyspnea, nocturnal cough, and rhinitis), and lower lung function (>13% decrease in FEV(1) percent predicted) than those living in other regions. Length of residence in the area was a significant risk factor, but age, sex, body mass index, proximity to busy roads and other nonpetrochemical industries, length of breast-feeding, and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of children or their families were not. CONCLUSION Exposure to particulate matter and volatile organic compounds arising from petrochemical plants but not from high traffic density was associated ith worse respiratory health in children.

Indoor-outdoor distribution and risk assessment of volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere of industrial and urban areas.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which play an important part indoors and outdoors, comprise differing compound groups such as n‐alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons and terpenes. In the current study, samples were analyzed from indoor (schools and houses, n = 92) and outdoor (n = 33) air in urban, industrial, semirural and residential areas from the region of La Plata (Argentine) to consider VOC exposure in different types of environments. VOCs were sampled for 1 month during winter for 3 years, with passive 3M monitors. Samples were extracted with CS2 and analyzed by GC/MS detectors. The results show significant differences in concentration and distribution between indoor and outdoor samples, depending on the study area. Most VOCs predominantly originated indoors in urban, semirural and residential areas, whereas an important outdoor influence in the industrial area was observed. In all areas alkanes and aromatic compounds dominated, even though a different chemical distribution was seen. Traffic burden was determined as the major source of outdoor VOC with a benzene/toluene ratio close to 0.5. Indoors, C9–C11 alkanes, toluene and xylenes dominated, caused by human activities. In contrast, in the industrial area higher concentrations of hexane, heptane and benzene occurred outdoors and affected the indoor air significantly. The lifetime cancer risk (LCR) associated to the benzene exposure was calculated for children from the different study areas. For all groups the study showed a LCR value greater than 1 × 10−6 related to the benzene exposure indoors as well outdoors. A value two magnitudes higher was detected indoors in the industrial area, what demonstrates the high risk for children living in this area of La Plata.

WaterTox bioassay intercalibration network : Results from Argentina

A series of blind samples were analyzed by our laboratory within the WaterTox Network using a battery of tests. These tests were selected according to sensitivity, easiness to perform, robustness, low cost, and representativeness of several trophic levels and consisted of acute and subchronic toxicity with the nematode Panagrellus redivivus (96 h) and the coelenterate Hydra attenuata (24, 48, 72, and 96 h), acute toxicity with the microcrustacean Daphnia magna (48 h) and the vascular plants Allium cepa (72 h) and Lactuca sativa (96 h), and genotoxic effects with a commercial kit based on the Ames Salmonella typhimurium test. Data from 30 blind samples (15 pure compounds, 2 types of mixtures and replicate samples) added with positive controls have been analyzed using the 6 selected bioassays and 12 endpoints. Results show that all assays provide relevant and complementary information. Regarding the nongenotoxic effects, within the tested concentration intervals all samples showed toxicity with at least one of the bioassays from the battery and only three samples were toxic to all. A relative toxicity rank shows that H. attenuata and D. magna are the most sensitive organisms for acute effects. H. attenuata and P. redivivus are more sensitive for sublethal effects than the vascular plants tested, except for 3 of the samples. From the 24 samples tested for genotoxic effects using the Fluctuation test 37% were mutagenic; however, serious difficulties were encountered when was run the kit for mutagenicity. The major difficulties with H. attenuata, P. redivivus, and D. magna were associated with the maintenance of stock organism cultures. The inclusion of the EC50 estimation of 6 blind samples tested with a core battery of bioassays (H. attenuata, D. magna, and L. sativa) selected in the first part of the exercise, improved the design of the experiment and data quality.  © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Environ Toxicol 15: 287–296, 2000

Different immunomodulatory effects associated with sub-micrometer particles in ambient air from rural, urban and industrial areas

Immunomodulatory effects of chemicals adsorbed to particles with aerodynamic diameter below 0.49 microm (PM(0.5)) collected in winter 2001 at three sampling points (industrial area [LPIn], traffic-influenced urban area [LPCi], and control area [LPCo]) of La Plata, Argentina, were investigated. The sampling of particulate matter was carried out with high-volume collectors using cascade impactors. PM(0.5)-adsorbed compounds were hexane-extracted by accelerated solvent extraction. For immunological investigations, human peripheral blood lymphocytes were activated by phytohemagglutinin and exposed to dimethyl-sulfoxide dilutions of PM(0.5)-extracts for 24h. Vitality/proliferation was quantified using MTT, released interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) by ELISA. Cytokine production but not vitality/proliferation was significantly suppressed by all of the highest extract concentrations. Generally, suppression of IFN-gamma by PM(0.5)-extracts was stronger than those of IL-4. Based on administered mass of PM(0.5), all extracts suppressed IFN-gamma production nearly uniform. Contrary, LPCi-extracts exerted maximum IFN-gamma suppression based either on air volume or regarding PM(0.5)-adsorbed PAH. Also the ranking of PM(0.5)-associated effects on IL-4 production differs in dependence of the chosen reference points, either mass or [microg/ml] or air volume [m(3)/ml] related dust quantities in cell culture. Based on the corresponding air volume, LPCi-extracts inhibited IL-4 production to the maximum extend, whereas suppression of IL-4 was comparable based on concentrations. This indicates that not only the disparate PM(0.5)-masses in air cause varying impacts, but also that disparities in PM(0.5)-adsorbed chemicals provoke different effects on immune responses and shifts in the regulatory balance that might have implications for allergy and cancer development.

Characterization and cancer risk assessment of VOCs in home and school environments in gran La Plata, Argentina

Three areas are highlighted in Gran La Plata, Argentina: industrial, urban, and residential. In this work, the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air of homes and schools in those areas were analyzed, through the use of passive monitors. The study period is between 2007 and 2010. Higher levels of VOCs were found in homes and schools in the industrial zone, higher than the levels corresponding to urban and residential. Taking into account the relationship between indoor and outdoor levels of VOCs, they have ratios (I/O) between 1.5 and 10 are evidenced contributions of emission sources of VOCs both indoor and outdoor. Complementarily, we estimated the life time cancer risk (LCR) for benzene, styrene, trichloroethylene, and tetrachloroethylene in children who spend their time mostly in such indoor environments. The results show high LCR values for benzene, which exceed acceptable values for the US EPA.

The effect of air pollution on children's health: a comparative study between La Plata and Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

We present the results of a study of outdoor air quality in two comparable regions of Buenos Aires province (Argentina); La Plata and Bahia Blanca, developed jointly by researchers of the National University in both cities, and of the Hospital of Bahia Blanca, between 2009 and 2011. Both regions are characterized by a large petrochemical complex and a village with outstanding traffic. In this study, we measure levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter suspended in air (PM) in air outdoor and affectation of respiratory system in children between 6 and 12 years. Also, analysis of the effect of the air pollution exposure was made through the calculation of potentially increased life time cancer risk (LCR) in children. In both regions, including three areas: urban, industrial and residential (reference area), 20 VOCs were sampled by passive monitoring (3M 3500), and determined by GC/FID, comprising n-alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatics, chlorinated compounds,

Characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Profiles by Multivariate Statistical Analysis

In the present study, statistical methods based on multivariate analyses such as the Descriptive Discriminant Analysis (DDA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were applied to determine relationships between particle sizes and the composition of the associated semi-volatile compounds, in addition to evaluating these observations in relation to the emission sources, study areas, sampling campaigns and season. Results from the DDA showed that the PAHs distributions give the best discrimination capacity within the data set, whereas the PAH distribution in intermediate particle fractions incorporates noise in the statistical analysis. The PCA was useful in identifying the main emission sources in each study area. It showed that in the city of La Plata the most important pollution sources are traffic emissions and the industrial activity associated with oil and petrochemical plants. In Leipzig, the main sources are those associated with traffic and also a power plant. The combined PCA and DDA methods applied to PAH distributions is a valuable tool in characterizing types of emissions burdens and also in obtaining a differentiation of sample identity according to study areas and sampling times.