WEBVTT 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.000 At RIVM knowledge generating research is very important for us... 00:00:07.250 --> 00:00:11.500 to maintain our scientific authority for informing policy and regulations. 00:00:11.750 --> 00:00:16.250 Inhalation toxicology is that special expertise that we have here... 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:19.750 where we do experimental, innovative research. 00:00:20.500 --> 00:00:24.750 We have mobile facilities where we can do measurements and exposures... 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:28.000 that allow us also to collaborate with partners outside the RIVM. 00:00:28.750 --> 00:00:32.250 And that has resulted also in high impact papers... 00:00:32.500 --> 00:00:35.250 and very strong advice for policy makers. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:40.500 RIVM is a leading authority in air pollution and nanomaterial toxicology. 00:00:40.750 --> 00:00:44.500 We advise international bodies like the World Health Organization... 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:47.750 the European Commission and OECD. 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.750 And in the Netherlands, when it comes to policy advice... 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:56.000 we have a strong link to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. 00:00:56.750 --> 00:01:00.750 They use the results of our research to develop policy... 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:02.750 and for us to provide good advice. 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:08.000 It's very important that we integrate our knowledge on inhalation toxicology... 00:01:08.250 --> 00:01:12.500 with environmental epidemiology and exposure assessments. 00:01:16.250 --> 00:01:19.750 Almost 25% of the fine dust emissions in the Netherlands 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:23.500 comes from wood burning, caused by residential heating. 00:01:24.500 --> 00:01:29.250 Wood smoke contains particles such as fine dust and soot... 00:01:29.500 --> 00:01:32.500 but also gases such as NOx. 00:01:32.750 --> 00:01:36.750 And these components can affect health, for example, the shortness of breath. 00:01:37.500 --> 00:01:40.000 At RIVM, we look at the toxicity of wood smoke... 00:01:40.250 --> 00:01:44.000 and try to estimate the effect of wood smoke on public health. 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:47.250 To investigate the effects of wood smoke... 00:01:47.500 --> 00:01:50.500 we take a small fraction of the of the wood smoke... 00:01:50.750 --> 00:01:53.750 and we dilute it with compressed air in this diluter. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:57.750 For that, we measure particle size and concentration as well as... 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:02.500 concentration of several gases, such as NOx and volatile organic compounds. 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:06.250 From these buffer chambers, cells are exposed to the diluted wood smoke. 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:12.500 And we measure cell viability and cell damage in the exposed lung cells. 00:02:13.500 --> 00:02:16.250 What we try to investigate now is how the lung cells react... 00:02:16.500 --> 00:02:18.000 in optimal burning conditions. 00:02:18.750 --> 00:02:20.750 But in the second phase, we also want to know... 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:23.750 how the cells respond to suboptimal burning conditions. 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:26.250 For example using different types of wood. 00:02:27.500 --> 00:02:31.500 And all this information is used to try to better estimate the effect... 00:02:31.750 --> 00:02:34.000 of wood burning on public health in the Netherlands. 00:02:41.500 --> 00:02:45.750 Here we are devising a strategy to evaluate the effects... 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:48.000 of advanced materials on the lung. 00:02:48.500 --> 00:02:52.250 When the aerosol is generated, so the particles are in the air... 00:02:52.750 --> 00:02:56.250 they are of course characterized, and after that, they are led... 00:02:56.500 --> 00:02:59.250 to an air liquid interface. 00:02:59.750 --> 00:03:04.500 Air liquid interface is a single cell layer of lung epithelial cells. 00:03:04.750 --> 00:03:09.000 By exposing through the air, that is most similar... 00:03:09.250 --> 00:03:14.000 to the situation where humans are exposed. 00:03:14.250 --> 00:03:18.750 The bottom side, the medium, is used for nourishment, moist, and for pH. 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:24.250 And eventually we can use our project to evaluate the effects... 00:03:24.500 --> 00:03:28.000 of different, advanced materials on the lung. 00:03:31.750 --> 00:03:35.250 Exposure to air pollution has long been linked to adverse health effects. 00:03:35.500 --> 00:03:38.000 Like respiratory disease, heart disease... 00:03:38.250 --> 00:03:41.750 emissions released by traffic, exhaust tailpipe emissions. 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:45.000 Non exhaust emissions like tire wear. 00:03:45.750 --> 00:03:47.750 An important challenge is that, in general... 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:52.500 the concentration of these particles in ambient air, is quite low. 00:03:53.250 --> 00:03:57.750 In that case, we can use a device like this. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:03:59.500 It's called VACES. 00:03:59.750 --> 00:04:03.000 It was originally developed by the University of Southern California. 00:04:03.250 --> 00:04:05.250 Further optimized in our lab. 00:04:06.250 --> 00:04:10.250 It allows us to concentrate the particles in the aerosol... 00:04:10.500 --> 00:04:13.750 up to a 20-fold levels. 00:04:14.500 --> 00:04:16.250 And it also allows us to separate... 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:20.000 different sized fractions of particles in the aerosol. 00:04:20.250 --> 00:04:24.250 So we can then use the output of the VACES system... 00:04:24.500 --> 00:04:28.750 for direct exposure of cells, using this device over here. 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:30.750 Which is called Automated Exposure Station... 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:32.750 developed by Vitrocell. 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:36.500 And there we can expose lung cells or other cell types 00:04:36.750 --> 00:04:38.750 by air liquid interface exposure. 00:04:39.250 --> 00:04:41.500 where we investigated toxicity of this aerosol. 00:04:45.750 --> 00:04:49.000 We know that airborne particles can have an effect on our health. 00:04:49.250 --> 00:04:53.000 But different sources may produce similar amounts of mass... 00:04:53.250 --> 00:04:55.750 but have differences in reactivity. 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:59.750 So if your particles are small enough to reach your deeper lungs... 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:02.250 they will encounter a layer of cells. 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:05.500 That layer of cells is encapsulated in lipids. 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:08.500 And those lipids protect the cells. 00:05:08.750 --> 00:05:13.500 And when this happens in a prolonged period, we think that this.. 00:05:13.750 --> 00:05:19.000 in the end, lead to severe effects, when people have lung diseases. 00:05:19.250 --> 00:05:22.250 So here at RIVM we try to go closer... 00:05:22.500 --> 00:05:24.750 to the reaction that really happens in our lungs. 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:29.500 So we have an essay, a stepwise essay, in which we try... 00:05:29.750 --> 00:05:34.000 to collect the lipids that are really in your lungs with various reactions. 00:05:34.250 --> 00:05:39.250 These quantify what happens and then link to the reactivity... 00:05:39.500 --> 00:05:44.000 of various sources like tire wear, combustion, microplastics. 00:05:44.500 --> 00:05:48.500 And hopefully, in the end, helps people that are most susceptible for them. 00:05:48.750 --> 00:05:52.750 Like people with asthma, smaller children and people with lung disease. 00:05:57.250 --> 00:06:00.250 So now we are expanding our focus from air pollution... 00:06:00.500 --> 00:06:05.500 to emerging issues like microplastics or advanced nanomaterials. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:09.250 Or even the combination between air pollution like NO2... 00:06:09.500 --> 00:06:11.250 and microorganisms. 00:06:11.500 --> 00:06:16.750 On top of that, we're moving from the traditional inhalation animal experiments... 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:22.250 to human studies and advanced methodologies on in vitro methods. 00:06:22.750 --> 00:06:25.250 And we complement that also with modeling. 00:06:25.500 --> 00:06:27.500 Explaining what the human relevance is. 00:06:28.500 --> 00:06:33.000 As a team, we provide expertise both at the national and international level. 00:06:33.250 --> 00:06:37.500 based on knowledge generated research and a well-developed network. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:42.000 We can advise policymakers and regulators worldwide... 00:06:42.250 --> 00:06:45.750 considering all aspects of inhalation toxicology.