Effects of ‘real world’ biodiesel and petroleum diesel combustion on PM composition and production of ROS in human lung cells

as part of the Physics Spring Seminar Series, KSC's Nora Traviss will discuss:

Effects of ‘real world’ biodiesel and petroleum diesel combustion on PM composition and production of ROS in human lung cells

Production of biodiesel, an alternative fuel made from renewable, plant based feedstocks, exceeds 1 billion gallons per year in the United States. Due to the reduction of particulate matter (PM) pollution in the exhaust, biodiesel is considered a greener alternative to petroleum diesel fuel. Yet, there is little known regarding the toxicological responses to biodiesel PM relative to diesel PM, especially from PM generated in 'real world' combustion operations. The composition of ‘real world’ biodiesel and diesel PM can include transition metals, and polar and nonpolar organic species, all of which can induce production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in human cells. ROS are believed to be associated with a number of negative health effects including diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, and cardiovascular disease.

In this presentation, I will give an overview of the biodiesel research currently underway at Keene State College and will present results from our evaluation of diesel vs. biodiesel PM induced ROS production in a human epithelial lung cell model. During the summer of 2014, we collected PM samples generated from a heavy duty front loader that operated on both biodiesel and diesel fuels at a rural recycling center. The PM was collected from the operator's breathing zone and ranged in size from 2.5-0.25 ?m. We also measured the water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) from each PM type to investigate potential associations between WSOC and ROS. Understanding PM exposure, PM composition, and the link to toxicological endpoints are important in performing more comprehensive exposure assessments evaluating the impact of various fuels used in ‘real world’ scenarios.