Genotoxicity of urban air pollutants in the Czech Republic Part II.: DNA adduct formation in mammalian cells by extractable organic matter

The study was aimed at determining the genotoxic potential of extractable organic matter (EOM) from ambient air particles PM10 (< 10 mu m) using mammalian cells in culture as test system. Air samples were collected in the course of summer and winter periods in two regions of the Czech Republic representing low and high levels of air pollution, the districts of industrial Teplice and rural Prachatice, respectively. EOM was fractionated by acid-base partitioning and silica gel column chromatography. Aliquots of fractions were incubated with cultured hepatocytes derived from male rats or Chinese hamster lung V79NH cells expressing nitroreductase activity but virtually no cytochrome P450 activity. DNA adduct levels were analyzed by P-32-postlabeling using butanol extraction for adduct enrichment. In hepatocytes, crude extracts caused the formation of substantial amounts of DNA reactive material bring detectable in a broad diagonal radioactive zone (DRZ) in the chromatograms. Highest DNA adduct levels were found in the aromatic fractions and slightly polar fractions which contain most of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and nitro-substituted PAH (nitro-PAH), respectively, comprising 75-90% of total adducts. This partitioning was independent of the sampling period and locality. In agreement with the higher average ambient air concentrations of PAH in the winter than the summer, 3-4-fold higher DNA adduct levels were detected in extracts sampled in the winter. Calculated on the basis of EOM/m(3), DNA adduct levels of samples collected in winter period were 10-fold higher than those collected in the summer period and 2-fold higher in Teplice than in Prachatice. Pretreatment of hepatocytes with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin decreased DNA binding by 50-75%. In contrast to the findings in hepatocytes, in V79NH cells about 80% of the DNA adducts were caused by material in the slightly polar fractions appearing as distinct spots in the radiochromatograms. Seasonal variation of DNA adducts in V79NH cells was greater than variation between localities. Our results suggest that PAI-I as well as nitro-PAH are the main contributors to the genotoxicity of EOM derived from both industrial and rural areas. The results, furthermore, indicate that analysis nf DNA adducts in mammalian cells in culture offers a suitable method for monitoring the genotoxicity of complex of environmental chemicals. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.