Early biological effects in children exposed to different levels of PM0.5 in Perugia (Italy)

Exposure day-to-day particulate matter (PM) air pollution is correlated to increased risk of various adverse health outcomes. In particular, the children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of airborne agents because their lungs are still developing, they spend more time outdoors, and they breathe faster than adults do. Our work was part of the MAPEC (Monitoring Air Pollution Effects on Children for supporting public health policy) project, a multicentric cohort study that involves 1,000 primary school children (6-8 years old) in 5 Italian cities (Brescia, Lecce, Perugia, Pisa and Turin), with different degrees of pollution. The aim of this study was to identify markers of early biological damage, such as micronuclei (MN), predictive of chronic diseases onset in older adulthood. Child exposure to urban air pollution was evaluated by collecting PM0.5 samples in four schools of Perugia, on the same day of biological sampling. The micronucleus cytome assay was performed in exfoliated buccal mucosa (BM) cells of children. The cells, collected by brushing the inside of the cheek with a toothbrush, were fixed on microscope slides and stained with Feulgen/LightGreen for both bright field and fluorescence microscope analysis. Ambiental and biological sampling were repeated in winter 2014 and in spring 2015. The results showed a decrease in MN frequency in spring compared to winter season, according to the monitored level of air pollution.