Aleksandra Kęska, Agnieszka Rusak, Radosław Włostowski, Mikołaj Dziemieszkiewicz, Natalia Szymlet

Exciting News from the Environmental Health Frontier! We’re thrilled to announce the recent scientific publication in Nature magazine, co-authored by our colleague, Mikołaj Dziemieszkiewicz, with research carried out at Nanores Lab. This groundbreaking study explores the effects of Euro 6 diesel exhaust gas mixtures on L929 cells, utilizing the innovative BAT-CELL chamber to simulate real road traffic conditions.

The publication, titled “Low-vacuum SEM imaging and viability test of L929 cells exposed to a Euro 6 diesel exhaust gas mixture in a BAT-CELL chamber in comparison with hydrocarbons emission”, reveals crucial insights. The study found that diesel exhaust fumes can cause significant inflammation, leading to either apoptosis or necrotic cell death, and can inhibit cell proliferation by almost three times. Notably, the highest toxicity was observed at driving speeds of 120 km/h.

In simpler terms, this research highlights the severe cellular damage caused by diesel exhaust emissions, emphasizing the urgent need for ecological alternatives and stricter regulations on harmful compounds in vehicle emissions.

For those keen on diving into the details and understanding the potential implications of this research, we encourage you to read the full publication. Celebrating another publication this year at Nanores Lab!

Access the article at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-63560-4

 

Abstract

Exhaust emissions, which count among the most common causes of premature death worldwide, can cause irreversible changes in cells, leading to their damage or degeneration. In this research, L929 line cells were observed after exposure in the BAT-CELL chamber to exhaust gases emitted from a Euro 6 compression-ignition engine. Real road traffic conditions were simulated, taking into account air resistance while driving at speeds of 50 km/h, 120 km/h and idling engine. Morphological analysis of the cells was performed using an environmental scanning electron microscope. It has been observed that diesel exhaust fumes can cause inflammation, which can induce apoptosis or leads to necrotic cell death. The impact of the vehicle exhaust gases can inhibit cell proliferation by almost three times. Moreover, a correlation has been observed between the speed of the inflammatory reaction in cells and the presence of specific hydrocarbon compounds that determine the toxicity of exhaust gases. Research has shown that the toxicity of the emitted exhaust gases has been the highest at the driving speed of 120 km/h. In order to reduce the harmful effects of exhaust emissions, ecological alternatives and the supplementation of legal provisions regarding the compounds subject to limitation are necessary.