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A2271 - Respiratory Health Effects of Non-Volatile Particle Emissions from an Aircraft Turbine Engine
Author Block: H. Jonsdottir1, M. Delaval1, Z. Leni1, A. Keller2, B. T. Brem3, F. Siegerist4, D. Schönenberger3, H. Burtscher2, A. Liati5, M. Geiser1; 1Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland, 2Institute for Aerosol and Sensor Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Windisch, Switzerland, 3Laboratory for Advanced Analytical Technologies, EMPA, Dübendorf, Switzerland, 4SR Technics, Zürich, Switzerland, 5Institute of Automotive Powertrain Technologies, Exhaust After-treatment, EMPA, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
RATIONALE Emissions from aircraft engines contribute to local and global air pollution. The potential adverse health effects from exposure to these emissions remain mostly untested. However, given the documented health effects of particle emissions generated from gasoline and diesel combustion, it is of interest to examine the impact of aircraft generated emissions on human health. In order to test the effects of aerosol exposure on human bronchial epithelium, we have used the Nano - Aerosol Chamber for In Vitro Toxicity (NACIVT), a portable exposure chamber with a controllable cell-culture environment (37°C, high humidity and 5% CO2) that can be connected to any aerosol source. METHODS Emissions were sampled with a standardized sampling system from a CFM56-7B turbofan, the most commonly operated aircraft turbine worldwide. We characterized the acute response of human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) to engine particle emissions at two thrust conditions, 85% (a proxy for aircraft climb-out) and ground-idle. Furthermore, cells were exposed to filtered exhaust (50 - 60% thrust) as particle free control. We evaluated cytotoxicity, cytokine secretion and oxidative stress 24 hours after a 60-minute exposure to diluted exhaust at air-liquid interface. Furthermore, we assessed the effects of two fuel types, conventional Jet A-1 fuel (base fuel) and a 32% v/v HEFA (hydro-processed esters and fatty acids) base fuel blend (HEFA blend). RESULTS Preliminary results indicate that particle emissions from base fuel are more toxic to BEAS-2B cells compared to the HEFA blend, indicated by an increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in apical medium. Additionally, the level of heme oxygenase -1 (HMOX-1) gene expression was increased over six-fold when comparing ‘ground idle’ conditions with base fuel to the HEFA blend. Secretion of monocyte chemotactic protein - 1 (MCP-1), on the other hand, was increased from 28pg/mL in cells exposed to ‘ground idle’ conditions with base fuel, to 104 pg/mL for cells exposed to the HEFA blend. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate an increase in oxidative stress in bronchial cells after exposure to base fuel, while the HEFA blend appears to be less toxic. However, it seems that exposure to HEFA blend particle exhaust results in higher secretion of MCP-1, potentially causing more severe systemic effects after exposure. Taken together, these results emphasize the necessity of further investigation of respiratory and systemic health effects of different aviation fuel types and thrust conditions. This work was funded by the Swiss Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA), project 2016-037.