The efficiency of EURO 6d car particulate filters is compromised by atmospheric aging: In vitro toxicity of gasoline car exhaust
Tailpipe emissions from road traffic contribute substantially to the burden of fine inhalable particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) and deteriorate air quality. Exhaust emission standards, forcing improvements in combustion and exhaust after-treatment technology, considerably decreases combustion-related PM<sub>2.5</sub> emitted by modern cars. A549 cancerous alveolar and BEAS-2B normal bronchial epithelial cells were exposed at the air-liquid interface to the total aerosol or gas phase of either fresh or photochemically aged tailpipe emissions from a gasoline EURO 6d car equipped with a gasoline particulate filter. Diluted fresh emissions contained particle number concentrations comparable to low ambient air levels and induced no detectable cytotoxicity. Photochemical aging led to the formation of secondary aerosols and caused significant cytotoxicity. While the aged aerosol induced significant DNA damage, oxidative stress was more associated with volatile secondary species. Our results call for the consideration of the exhaust emission atmospheric transformation processes in future emission standards toward health effect-driven emission regulations.
Authors
- Markus Kalberer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8885-6556)
- Ralf Zimmermann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6280-3218)
- Seongho Jeong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8057-7827)
- Patrick Martens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5719-872X)
- Evelyn M. Kuhn
- Gert Jakobi
- Mathilde Delaval (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1340-5336)
- Nadine Gawlitta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7877-8168)
- Zheng Fang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2355-5618)
- Johannes Passig (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3876-1716)
- Mohammad Almasaleekh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7890-8383)
- Alan H. Huber
- Andreas Paul (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6327-4103)
- Jana Pantzke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5420-8905)
- Alexandre Barth (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5404-2239)
- Olli Sippula (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6981-2694)
- Svenja Offer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1159-4769)
- Arūnas Meščeriakovas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3257-5293)
- Deeksha Shukla (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4487-7878)
- Jürgen Schnelle‐Kreis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4846-2303)
- Astrid Kiendler‐Scharr (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3166-2253)
- Jorma Joutsensaari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3460-1114)
- Anni Hartikainen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4779-1404)
- Miika Kortelainen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1051-4617)
- Battist Utinger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2134-5692)
- Michal Pardo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6480-1171)
- Yinon Rudich (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3149-0201)
- Narges Rastak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9271-2512)
- Thorsten Hohaus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5722-6244)
- Mika Ihalainen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1834-7558)
- Arya Mukherjee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8980-0383)
- Pasi Yli‐Pirilä (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7882-4574)
- Hendryk Czech (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8377-4252)
- Jürgen Orasche (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1037-7544)
- Sebastiano Di Bucchianico (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6396-892X)
- Sebastian Oeder (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1737-0072)
- Markus Somero
- Jani Leskinen
Institutions
- Forschungszentrum Jülich (DE)
- University of Eastern Finland (FI)
- University of Basel (CH)
- Helmholtz Zentrum München (DE)
- Universität der Bundeswehr München (DE)
- University of Rostock (DE)
- Weizmann Institute of Science (IL)
- Desert Research Institute (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Published
- 2025-05-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adq2348
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Air Quality and Health Impacts
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.80