Thermal power plants using coal and solid biomass as fuel represent major sources of coarse, fine, and ultrafine particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere.  The interactions of PM with the atmosphere and the solid Earth, its hydrosphere, and its biosphere, as well as the impacts on human health depend on particle number and size as well as on other properties, such as, chemical composition, structure, surface area, and solubility of the individual particles, which therefore need to be investigated in detail.  Because the individual particles emitted through smokestacks are small, they have to be studied with a variety of methods, including transmission electron microscopy.  Moreover, several different experiments have to be performed in order to assess the toxicity of such particles, which can easily enter the human respiratory tract.<br/>This presentation will focus on the characterization of select solid constituents of emissions from coal and biomass combustion, including metal sulfates, magnetite, and bulk fly ash. Moreover, results from various <i>in-vitro</i> toxicological experiments with human lung cells (alveolar epithelial A549, bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B) and from microscopic investigations will be used to evaluate the dose-dependent cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, the formation of reactive oxygen species, and the uptake/translocation of these particles into the cells.

Investigating the toxicity of combustion-derived particulate matter

ACS Fall 2021

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