Confocal microscopy 3D imaging and bioreactivity of La Palma volcanic ash particles

Wertheim, David; Coldwell, Beverley; Miyashita, Lisa; Gill, Ian; Crust, Simon; Giddens, Richard; Pérez, Nemesio M; Petford, Nick; Grigg, Jonathan

Abstract

In September 2021 an eruption began of Cumbre Vieja, La Palma (Spain) that lasted 3 months. Previous studies have shown that volcanic ash particles can be associated with adverse effects on human health however, the reasons for this are unclear. Particle shape has been shown to contribute to cellular uptake in prostate cancer cells. Hence we aimed to study 3D structure, elemental composition and effects on cultured lung cells of particles collected from the La Palma volcanic eruption. 3D imaging of PM10 sized and below particles was performed using a LEXT OLS4100 confocal microscope (Olympus Corporation, Japan). A Zeiss EVO 50 (Carl Zeiss AG, Germany) Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was used to assess elemental composition. In addition, volcanic particle concentration dose response for pneumococcal adhesion to A549 human alveolar epithelial cells was investigated. Confocal microscopy showed that some PM10 and below sized particles had sharp or angular 3D appearance. SEM x-ray analysis indicated silicate particles with calcium, aluminium and iron. We observed increased colony forming units indicating increased Pneumococcal adhesion due to exposure of cells to volcanic particles. Thus in addition to the toxic nature of some volcanic particles, we suggest that the observed sharp surface particle features may help to explain adverse health effects associated with volcanic eruptions.

Citation

Wertheim, D., Coldwell, B., Miyashita, L., Gill, I., Crust, S., Giddens, R., Pérez, N. M., Petford, N., & Grigg, J. (2023). Confocal microscopy 3D imaging and bioreactivity of La Palma volcanic ash particles. Science of the Total Environment, 899, Article 165647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165647

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 17, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-11
• Deposit Date: Oct 28, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 29, 2024
• Journal: Science of The Total Environment
• Print ISSN: 0048-9697
• Electronic ISSN: 1879-1026
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 899
• Article Number: 165647
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165647
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2990611
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Confocal microscopy 3D imaging and bioreactivity of La Palma volcanic ash particles; Journal Title: Science of The Total Environment; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165647; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
• Other Repo URL: https://eprints.kingston.ac.uk/id/eprint/54249/