PM2.5 source profiles from typical Chinese commercial cooking activities in northern China and its influences on bioreactivity of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs)

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emitted from commercial cooking activities can lead cardiovascular diseases to humans. In this study, PM2.5 filter samples were collected from the exhausts of six typical and commercial cuisines including Sichuan cuisine, Shaanxi Cuisine, Northeast Chinese cuisine, Shaanxi snacks, hotpot and Chinese barbecue (BBQ) in the Northern China. Chemical components of carbonaceous fractions, water-soluble inorganic ions, elements, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [including parent PAHs (pPAHs), alkylated PAHs (aPAHs), oxygenated PAHs (oPAHs) and nitro PAHs (nPAHs)] were quantified. The bioreactivities in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by the exposures to the PM2.5 were also measured. The PM2.5 concentration levels in the kitchen exhausts ranged from the lowest of 290 +/- 104 mu g m(-3) for the Northeast Chinese cuisine to the highest of 3400 +/- 978 mu g m(-3) for the Chinese BBQ. The PM2.5 composition was predominantly comprised of organic carbon (OC), especially for Sichuan and Shaanxi cuisines. The highest PAHs concentration was shown in the Chinese BBQ, followed by the stir-fry-dominated cuisines (i.e., Sichuan, Shaanxi and Northeast Chinese cuisines), and boiling-dominated cuisines (i.e., Shaanxi snacks and hotpot). The pPAH was the most dominated PAHs group. Our results demonstrated that higher cooking temperatures and larger oil consumptions could promote the PAHs formations. The levels of PM2.5 cytotoxicity for the examined cuisines showed a descending order of the Chinese BBQ > stir-fry-dominated cuisines > boiling-dominated cuisines. In addition, the Person's correlations demonstrated that the cooking emitted PM2.5 were much interrelated with the inflammation induction (R > 0.80) than the oxidative stress (R > 0.60) due to the toxic chemical compositions. Using the stepwise regression model, the bioreactivities in VSMCs were found to be conquered by the concentration levels of 12 key chemical components such as chromium (Cr) and 9-methylanthracene. The regression formula explained nearly 100% of the variations on the induced bioreactivities (R-2 1/4 1.00), suggesting that the suppression of emissions of Cr (or 9-methylanthracene) could be efficient in reducing the cytotoxicity induced by cooking emitted PM2.5.