Atmospheric particulate matter: metallic nanoparticles internalization in human lung cells (in vitro) using nanosims for tracer imaging and measurement at subcellular level

• Grant number: 18/25691-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: April 29, 2019
• End date: April 28, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Marisa Narciso Fernandes
• Grantee: Iara da Costa Souza
• Supervisor: Peta Clode
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Western Australia (UWA), Australia
• Associated to the scholarship: 16/25257-2 - METALLIC NANOPARTICLES PRESENT IN ATMOSPHERIC PARTICULLATE MATTER INTERNALIZATION IN HUMAN LUNG CELLS, BP.PD

Abstract

Brazil is one of the largest iron producers in the world, with high industrial activity in iron mining, ironwork, steel and metallurgical processes. Most of these activities emit a metallic smoke that may contain several metals from the production process and the original ore. In the search for different alloys, most of the industries have developed metal alloys with compounds that have no limit in current legislation, such as bismuth, titanium, zirconium, tungsten, yttrium and other emerging metallic compounds. Tubarão Complex, located in Grande Vitória, ES, has recognized emission of atmospheric particulate material (APM) contaminated with metals from this process, in which several emerging metal contaminants have already been found. These metals are dispersed in the atmosphere and can passively internalize the human lung through the respiratory system. We propose to evaluate and identify the internalization of metallic nanoparticles present in the APM from the iron ore, pelletizing and steel industries present in the Tubarão Complex, in human lung tissue. Nanoscale morphological and analytical techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and NanoSIMS will be applied to identify emerging non-essential metallic nanoparticles at the subcellular level and evaluate they internalization even at low concentrations. Considering the low concentration of these emerging metals in the particulate material and their internalization in the human lung cells and cellular action will be possible to evaluate their bioavailability and which biological processes these particles may affect. (AU)