Bio-engineered palladium nanoparticles: model for risk assessment study of automotive particulate pollution on macrophage cell lines

The surge in vehicular activity in densely populated areas has led to an increased concentration of airborne palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) in the environment. Recent toxicity data have indicated that PdNPs exhibit adverse effects in in vitro and in vivo models, however, their effect on the immune system is not fully understood. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to evaluate possible toxic effects of bio-engineered palladium nanoparticles on the murine macrophage cell line (J774). Here we prepared palladium nanoparticles using aqueous leaf extract of Parthenium hysterophorus and characterized them by UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD, FT-IR spectroscopy, HR-TEM, EDX, SEM and zeta potential. Toxicity parameters such as cell viability, cell membrane integrity, induction of apoptosis and ROS production were assessed on J774 cell lines. Spherical palladium nanoparticles of mean size ∼4 nm, when subjected to time and dose-dependent cytotoxicity assay, showed cell viability was >95% at lower doses (25, 200 μg mL(−1)) and <50% at higher doses of palladium nanoparticles (400, 500 μg mL(−1)) after 24 hours of incubation. We also observed cell membrane injury at higher doses by lactate dehydrogenase assay. The induction of apoptosis observed was moderate. H(2)DCFDA assay revealed visible cell damage which could be due to modest levels of ROS generation. The detection of Pd in the road-dust samples of New Delhi using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) technique was also investigated.