Compositional characteristics and toxicological responses of human lung epithelial cells to inhalable particles (PM10) from ten typical biomass fuel combustions

As the primary component of haze, atmospheric inhalable particulate matters (PM ₁₀) are highly detrimental to human health. Biomass combustion is one of China`s most pivotal sources to aerosols pollution, inducing non-negligible emissions and uncertain risks. PM ₁₀ samples directly from 10 representative biomass fuel combustion sources (2 groups covering the reality widely: straws of rice, wheat, corn, corncob, soybean, peanut, rape, sesame; and branches of pine, peach) were collected using the dilution channel sampler and analyzed for chemical compositions and in vitro cytotoxicity to human lung epithelial cell lines A549. The components of PM ₁₀ are dominated by organic carbon (OC), followed by water-soluble K ⁺ and Cl ⁻, and rich in metals Fe, Zn, Cr, and Ni. Generally, PM ₁₀ emitted from biomass fuel combustions can weaken the antioxidant capacity of cells, and straws emissions, especially rape and peanut straws, show stronger ability to further induce oxidative stress and inflammatory damage than fuelwoods, owing to the key toxic roles of Cr, Ni, and Co. Therefore, reducing the specific source emissions of PM ₁₀ from crop straw combustions rich in heavy metals could be an effective oriented strategy to improve environmental air quality and control aerosols pollution precisely for protecting public health.