A study of the correlation between ultrafine particle emissions in motorcycle smoke and mice erythrocyte damages

Sharply increasing of motor vehicles every year contributes to amounts of ultrafine particles (UFPs) in the air. Besides, the existence of UFPs in the blood may cause erythrocyte damages that subject to shape deformation. This study was aimed to investigate the influence of UFPs in the motorcycle smoke exposed to mice in different concentrations to the erythrocyte damages. The experiments were conducted by injecting the motorcycle smoke with the varied amounts in an experimental chamber (dimension of 30 × 20 × 20 cm3) where the mice were put in advance for exposuring twice a day (100 s). Total numbers of UFPs in the smoke were calculated by measuring the total concentrations multiplied by the smoke debit. They were measured using a TSI 8525 P-Trak UPC. The effects of the smoke exposures in the mice's erythrocytes related to the UFPs in the smoke were observed by a binocular CX-31 Computer Microscope after the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th exposure days. The erythrocyte damages were calculated from the total abnormal erythrocytes divided by the total erythrocytes. Our results showed that more UFPs exposed to mice resulted in more the erythrocytes damages. Longer exposures caused more damages of the mice erythrocytes. This study found significant correlations between the numbers of UFPs exposed to mice and the erythrocyte damages. Our finding gives important evidence that motorcycle emissions especially UFPs affect on health.