Toxicity of ethylene combustion condensates is directly proportional to their carbon content

An in-vitro approach for water quality determination: activation of NF-κB as marker for cancer-related stress responses induced by anthropogenic pollutants of drinking water

Epidemiological studies show that there is a link between urban water pollution and increase in human morbidity and mortality. With the increase in number of new substances arising from the chemical, pharmaceutical, and agricultural industries, there is an urgent need to develop biological test systems for fast evaluation of potential risks to humans and the environmental ecosystems. Here, a combined cellular reporter assay based on the cellular survival and the stress-induced activation of the survival-promoting factor nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and its use for the detection of cytotoxicity and cancer-related stress responses is presented. A total of 14 chemicals that may be found in trace-amounts in ground water levels are applied and tested with the presented assay. The project is embedded within the joint research project TOX-BOX which aims to develop a harmonized testing strategy for risk management of anthropogenic trace substances in potable water. The assay identified carbendazim as a NF-κB-activating agent in mammalian cells.

On the characterization of nanoparticles emitted from combustion sources related to understanding their effects on health and climate

This work describes the use of well-controlled laboratory flames to produce aerosols of organic carbon (OC) as model particles representative of the OC fraction of combustion-generated particulate matter emissions in fresh exhausts. Water-particle interactions are explored in two specific cases. In the first case, particles are exposed to saturated environments and come into direct contact with liquid water by bubbling flame samples through a column of water. This case is representative of particle-liquid interactions relevant to wet removal routes by particle interception by rain or fog droplets or in biological systems covered with biological fluids composed mostly of water. In the second case, the particles are exposed to sub-saturated vapors with H(2)O concentrations representative of cloud-forming atmospheres. The particles' capacity to serve as atmospheric cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) by rapid growth to droplets was measured and compared to NaCl particles, which are highly soluble particles with well known activation diameters. The results show measureable interactions with water in highly saturated conditions. However, in sub-saturated environments, no growth by water condensation was observed, and fresh emissions of OC nanoparticles are not likely to act as CCN in atmospherically relevant humidity.