Bioaerosols from a Food Waste Composting Plant Affect Human Airway Epithelial Cell Remodeling Genes

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Ming-Wei Chang¹  Chung-Ru Lee¹  Hsueh-Fen Hung²  Kuo-Sheng Teng²  Hsin Huang¹ 

[1] Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, No. 101, Sec. 2, Kuang-Fu Rd., Hsinchu City 30013, Taiwan; E-Mails:;Department of Environmental Engineering and Health, Yuanpei University, No. 306, Yuanpei St., Xiangshan Dist., Hsinchu City 30015, Taiwan; E-Mails:

关键词: bioaerosol;    endotoxin;    Aspergillus fumigatus;    airway remodeling;    gene expression;    composting plant;    particulate matter;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph110100337

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The composting procedure in food waste plants generates airborne bioaerosols that have the potential to damage human airway epithelial cells. Persistent inflammation and repair responses induce airway remodeling and damage to the respiratory system. This study elucidated the expression changes of airway remodeling genes in human lung mucoepidermoid NCI-H292 cells exposed to bioaerosols from a composting plant. Different types of microorganisms were detectable in the composting plant, using the agar culture method. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify the level of Aspergillus fumigatus and the profile of remodeling genes. The real-time PCR results indicated that the amount of A. fumigatus in the composting hall was less than 10² conidia. The endotoxins in the field bioaerosols were determined using a limulus amebocyte lysate test. The endotoxin levels depended on the type of particulate matter (PM), with coarse particles (2.5–10 μm) having higher endotoxin levels than did fine particles (0.5–2.5 μm). After exposure to the conditioned medium of field bioaerosol samples, NCI-H292 cells showed increased pro-inflammatory interleukin (IL)-6 release and activated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 (p21^WAF1/CIP1) gene expression, but not of matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)-9. Airborne endotoxin levels were higher inside the composting hall than they were in other areas, and they were associated with PM. This suggested that airborne bioaerosols in the composting plant contained endotoxins and microorganisms besides A. fumigatus that cause the inflammatory cytokine secretion and augment the expression of remodeling genes in NCI-H292 cells. It is thus necessary to monitor potentially hazardous materials from bioaerosols in food composting plants, which could affect the health of workers.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.