An in vitro method to evaluate hemolysis of human red blood cells (RBCs) treated by airborne particulate matter (PM(10))

Air pollutants are capable to enter bloodstream through the nose, mouth, skin and the digestive tract. Hemolysis is the premature destruction of red blood cells (RBCs) membranes. This can affect metabolism of RBCs and reduce cell life. Each of these adverse effects could lead to anemia, jaundice and other pathological conditions. Hemolysis can induce by the mineral components adsorbed on the particles. The aim of this study was to evaluate hemolysis of RBCs treated by airborne PM(10) (PM with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm) in vitro. Study had two main stages including sampling and preparation of PM(10) suspension, and hemolysis test. Particle samples were collected by means of a high-volume sampler on fiberglass filters. The PM(10) was extracted through dry ultrasonic method. Blood sample was incubated by PM(10) at concentrations 50–300 μg/mL for 3 h. Hemolysis percent was assessed through measurement of Hemoglobin concentration in test samples and total blood hemoglobin (TBH) sample by the cyanmethemoglobin method. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey post-hoc test were applied to compare mean values of hemolysis percent between different PM concentrations. Method used in current study is suggested for investigation of toxic effects of airborne particle matter (PM(1), PM(2.5) and PM(10)) on human RBCs.