Intracellular Incorporation of Environmental Atmospheric Metallic Nanoparticles from Three Different Sources in Epithelial and Fibroblast Human Lung Cells

IARA SOUZA; MARIANA MOROZESK; ELSON GALVÃO; STEVEN MUTSAERS; CECILIA PRÊLEE; ALEX VIEIRA; DOUGLAS LOUGON; MARTIN SAUNDERS; JEREMY BOUGOURE; SILVIA MATSUMOTO; MAGDALENA MONFERRAN; DANIEL WUNDERLIN; MICHAEL ELLIOTT; MARISA FERNANDES; PETA CLODE

Congreso; SETAC Latin America 15th Biennial Meeting; 2023

The present study demonstrates the cellular internalisation of environmental settleable atmospheric particulate matter (SePM) and PM10 from urban areas subject to the major influences of the steel industry, iron pelletizing and civil construction in the bronchial epithelial (16HBE) and fibroblast (CCD19) human lung cells. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), nanocrystallography, electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) and inductively coupled plasma mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) were applied to characterise the SePM, including nanoparticles, at the subcellular level. Elements and nanoparticles uptake from PM10 were higher compared with those from SePM and, those from metallurgical sources were more incorporated than from civil construction/vehicular sources. Fibroblasts showed higher metal incorporation than epithelial cells after SePM exposure. The internalisation of Al, Si, Ti, Fe and Zr was observed in free nanoparticles into the nucleus and membrane-bound particles/clusters into the cytoplasm of cells. Chemical and ultrastructuralanalyses demonstrated that titanium, iron, and zirconium nanoparticles were mainly associated with metallurgical sources and, secondly, with vehicular emissions. This study raises concerns about the PM releasing in metalliferous areas, requiring stricter environmental regulations of atmospheric quality to protect human health.