Real world biodiesel particulate matter exposure and toxicological responses

描述（由申请人提供）：石油柴油燃料的燃烧是环境中细（d 2.5¿m）和超细（d 0.1¿m）颗粒物（PM）的主要来源，对美国的心肺死亡率和发病率有重大影响。生物柴油是一种可再生原料的替代燃料，可以立即替代现有的柴油发动机。被许多人认为是“更环保”的替代品，美国生物柴油的产量在2011年达到创纪录的9亿加仑（25）。然而，人们对“现实世界”生物柴油燃烧对重要颗粒特性（大小、形状、表面积、数量和组成）的影响知之甚少，也不了解人类健康与暴露于生物柴油PM之间的关系（9,26）。在过去的五年里，新罕布什尔州基恩市和基恩州立学院（KSC）建立了独特的合作关系，为本科生的现实世界暴露研究提供了强大的基础设施。基恩市自2002年以来一直在市政车队中使用生物柴油。我们的初步和已发表的工作得出了一个总体假设，即用生物柴油代替非道路发动机中的石油柴油将导致与人类健康直接相关的PM变化。为了解决这一关键问题，提出了三个具体目标，结合：(1)非道路发动机真实世界PM暴露概况的物理表征，(2)已知有毒/炎症化合物PM成分的化学表征，以及(3)相同PM的生物学表征以评估细胞反应并识别有毒/炎症成分。使用一系列标准和新颖的环境监测方法，KSC本科生将在农村回收现场操作施工型设备测量真实世界的PM暴露概况。设备将首先使用商业石油柴油燃料，然后切换到20%的生物柴油/80%的石油柴油混合物。将对PM样品进行化学分析，以确定对健康有害的有毒物质，包括多环芳烃和金属。在一种新的方法中，学生将使用同一领域收集的PM进行体外肺上皮细胞测定，以评估毒理学反应。本提案中概述的研究将提供重要信息，说明在现实世界中使用生物柴油燃料作为减少柴油发动机PM暴露风险的干预措施所带来的益处和挑战，直接解决NIEHS在理解环境暴露对人类疾病的作用方面的优先事项，并将研究成果转化为改善公共健康的预防和干预战略。这项研究提供了一个独特的机会，让来自多个系的KSC本科生参与一项对公共卫生和环境政策有直接影响的前沿跨学科调查。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Combustion of petroleum diesel fuel is a major source of fine (d 2.5 ¿m) and ultrafine (d 0.1 ¿m) particulate matter (PM) in the environment, with substantial impact on cardiopulmonary mortality and morbidity in the United States. Biodiesel is an alternative fuel from renewable feedstocks that can be immediately substituted in existing diesel engines. Considered by many to be a 'greener' alternative, U.S. biodiesel production reached record volumes of over 900 million gallons in 2011(25). Nevertheless, little is known about the impact of 'real world' biodiesel combustion on important particle characteristics (size, shape, surface area, number and composition) or about the relationship between human health and exposure to biodiesel PM (9,26). The unique collaboration established between the City of Keene, NH and Keene State College (KSC) over the past five years provides a robust infrastructure for undergraduate-based real world exposure studies. The City of Keene has been using biodiesel in their municipal fleet since 2002. Our preliminary and published work have led to the overarching hypothesis that replacing petrodiesel with biodiesel in nonroad engines will cause PM changes with direct relevance to human health. To address this critical issue, three specific aims are proposed, combining: (1) physical characterization of real world PM exposure profiles from nonroad engines, (2) chemical characterization of PM composition for known toxic/inflammatory compounds, and (3) biological characterization of the same PM to assess cellular responses and identify toxic/inflammatory components. Using an array of standard and novel environmental monitoring methods, KSC undergraduates will measure real world PM exposure profiles at a rural recycling site operating construction-type equipment. Equipment will first use commercial petroleum diesel fuel, and switch to a 20% biodiesel/80% petroleum diesel blend. PM samples will be chemically analyzed for toxic species of health concern including PAH's and metals. In a novel approach, the same field collected PM will be used by students for in vitro lung epithelial-cell assays to evaluate toxicological responses. The research outlined in this proposal will provide important information on the benefits and challenges associated with the real world use of biodiesel fuel as an intervention to reduce PM exposure risk from diesel engines, directly addressing NIEHS priorities in understanding the role of environmental exposure in human disease and translating research findings into prevention and intervention strategies to improve public health. This study provides a unique opportunity to engage KSC undergraduates from multiple departments in a cutting- edge, interdisciplinary investigation with direct implications for public health and environmental policy.