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a b s t r a c tIndoor/Outdoor (I/O) particulate mass concentration (PM 10 ) and number concentrations were measured online in modern office environments with mechanical ventilation. The measurement took place during June 2014 in a building, which, belongs to the Norwegian Institute for Air Research, in Norway. Particle number size distribution was measured with an SMPS (0.014e0.7 mm) and an APS (0.5e18 mm) instruments, whereas, mass concentration was measured with a Dust-Trak II photometer. Two offices were selected to examine the outdoor contribution of particles and the influence of indoor sources. One office was fully occupied during working hours and the second one unoccupied at all times. The results suggested that human presence during the working hours affected considerably indoor particles in the occupied office both in terms of number and mass concentration compared to the non-working hours conditions. In the absence of any significant indoor source generating new particles (hardcopy devices), the indoor environment was influenced mainly from the presence of people with resuspension activities being the most important source for particle sizes larger than 1 mm. Moreover, indoor particle number and mass concentration was influenced substantially from outdoor sources. Generally, both indoor number and mass concentrations showed temporal fluctuations similar to those observed outdoors, suggesting that particle penetration was significant in both offices. However, low I/O ratio (90 th percentile < 0.3 for both offices) indicated the efficient removal of particles from the air filtration system.

The physical properties of indoor particles were measured with an Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) system (14.6–850 nm), an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS, 0.54–18 μm) and an Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (H-TDMA) in an apartment located in an urban background site in Prague (Czech Republic) from 15 August to 8 September, 2014. The total particle maximum number concentration was 9.38 × 104, 1.46 × 105, 2.89 × 104, 2.25 × 105 and 1.57 × 106 particles cm−3 for particles released from vacuum cleaning, soap/W5 cleaning spray, smoking, incense burning and cooking (frying) activities, respectively. Particles emitted from cleaning activities showed unimodal number size distributions, with the majority of particles (>98.2 %) in the ultrafine size range (Dp <100 nm) and modes at a diameter of 19.8 nm for vacuum cleaning and 30.6 nm for soap/W5 cleaning. Smoking and incense burning predominantly generated particles in the accumulation mode with a count median diameter around 90–150 nm while cooking emissions showed a bimodal structure with a main mode at 47.8 nm. Particles from vacuum cleaning, incense burning, smoking and cooking emissions were found to be “nearly hydrophobic” with an average growth factor (Gf) around 1.01–1.10, while particles emitted from desk cleaning using organic compounds were found to be “less-hygroscopic” (Gf ∼1.12–1.16). Based on an adjusted MPPD model with a consideration of the hygroscopic properties of particles, the total lung deposition fractions of these particles by number when they penetrate into the human lung were 0.73 ± 0.02, 0.62 ± 0.03, 0.37 ± 0.03, 0.32 ± 0.03 and 0.49 ± 0.02 for vacuum cleaning, desk cleaning, smoking, incense burning and cooking, respectively.

The study investigated the separate and combined effects of ventilation rate, free convection flow produced by a thermal manikin, and the presence of objects on the distribution of tracer gas and particles in indoor air. The concentration of aerosol particles and tracer gas was measured in a test room with mixing ventilation. Three layouts were arranged: an empty room, an office room with an occupant sitting in front of a table, and a single-bed hospital room. The room occupant was simulated by a thermal manikin. Monodisperse particles of three sizes (0.07, 0.7, and 3.5 μm) and nitrous oxide tracer gas were generated simultaneously at the same location in the room. The particles and gas concentrations were measured in the bulk room air, in the breathing zone of the manikin, and in the exhaust air. Within the breathing zone of the sitting occupant, the tracer gas emerged as reliable predictor for the exposure to all different-sized test particles. A change in the ventilation rate did not affect the difference in concentration distribution between tracer gas and larger particle sizes. Increasing the room surface area did not influence the similarity in the dispersion of the aerosol particles and the tracer gas.

Researchers in nanocomposite processing may inhale a variety of chemical agents, including nanoparticles. This study investigated airway oxidative stress status in the exhaled breath condensate (EBC). Nineteen employees (42.4 ± 11.4 y/o), working in nanocomposites research for 18.0 ± 10.3 years were examined pre-shift and post-shift on a random workday, together with nineteen controls (45.5 ± 11.7 y/o). Panels of oxidative stress biomarkers derived from lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins were analyzed in the EBC. Aerosol exposures were monitored during three major nanoparticle generation operations: smelting and welding (workshop 1) and nanocomposite machining (workshop 2) using a suite of real-time and integrated instruments. Mass concentrations during these operations were 0.120, 1.840, and 0.804 mg/m3, respectively. Median particle number concentrations were 4.8 × 104, 1.3 × 105, and 5.4 × 105 particles/cm3, respectively. Nanoparticles accounted for 95, 40, and 61%, respectively, with prevailing Fe and Mn. All markers of nucleic acid and protein oxidation, malondialdehyde, and aldehydes C6–C13 were elevated, already in the pre-shift samples relative to controls in both workshops. Significant post-shift elevations were documented in lipid oxidation markers. Significant associations were found between working in nanocomposite synthesis and EBC biomarkers. More research is needed to understand the contribution of nanoparticles from nanocomposite processing in inducing oxidative stress, relative to other co-exposures generated during welding, smelting, and secondary oxidation processes, in these workshops.

The risk of exposure to nanoparticles (NPs) has rapidly increased during the last decade due to the vast use of nanomaterials (NMs) in many areas of human life. Despite this fact, human biomonitoring studies focused on the effect of NP exposure on DNA alterations are still rare. Furthermore, there are virtually no epigenetic data available. In this study, we investigated global and gene-specific DNA methylation profiles in a group of 20 long-term (mean 14.5 years) exposed, nanocomposite, research workers and in 20 controls. Both groups were sampled twice/day (pre-shift and post-shift) in September 2018. We applied Infinium Methylation Assay, using the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChips with more than 850,000 CpG loci, for identification of the DNA methylation pattern in the studied groups. Aerosol exposure monitoring, including two nanosized fractions, was also performed as proof of acute NP exposure. The obtained array data showed significant differences in methylation between the exposed and control groups related to long-term exposure, specifically 341 CpG loci were hypomethylated and 364 hypermethylated. The most significant CpG differences were mainly detected in genes involved in lipid metabolism, the immune system, lung functions, signaling pathways, cancer development and xenobiotic detoxification. In contrast, short-term acute NP exposure was not accompanied by DNA methylation changes. In summary, long-term (years) exposure to NP is associated with DNA epigenetic alterations.

Thousands of researchers and workers worldwide are employed in nanocomposites manufacturing, yet little is known about their respiratory health. Aerosol exposures were characterized using real time and integrated instruments. Aerosol mass concentration ranged from 0.120 mg/m3 to 1.840 mg/m3 during nanocomposite machining processes; median particle number concentration ranged from 4.8 × 104 to 5.4 × 105 particles/cm3. The proportion of nanoparticles varied by process from 40 to 95%. Twenty employees, working in nanocomposite materials research were examined pre-shift and post-shift using spirometry and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in parallel with 21 controls. Pro-inflammatory leukotrienes (LT) type B4, C4, D4, and E4; tumor necrosis factor (TNF); interleukins; and anti-inflammatory lipoxins (LXA4 and LXB4) were analyzed in their exhaled breath condensate (EBC). Chronic bronchitis was present in 20% of researchers, but not in controls. A significant decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) was found in researchers post-shift (p ˂ 0.05). Post-shift EBC samples were higher for TNF (p ˂ 0.001), LTB4 (p ˂ 0.001), and LTE4 (p ˂ 0.01) compared with controls. Nanocomposites production was associated with LTB4 (p ˂ 0.001), LTE4 (p ˂ 0.05), and TNF (p ˂ 0.001), in addition to pre-shift LTD4 and LXB4 (both p ˂ 0.05). Spirometry documented minor, but significant, post-shift lung impairment. TNF and LTB4 were the most robust markers of biological effects. Proper ventilation and respiratory protection are required during nanocomposites processing.