Vishal Verma

• University of Southern California

Relative humidity (RH) varies widely in indoor environments based on temperature, outdoor humidity, heating systems, and other environmental conditions. This study explored how RH affects aerosolized porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCV), a model for coronaviruses, over a time range from 0 min to a maximum of 1 h, and the molecular mechanism behin...

This paper presents the findings from a collaborative interlaboratory comparison exercise designed to assess oxidative potential (OP) measurements conducted by 20 laboratories worldwide. This study represents an innovative effort as the first exercise specifically aimed at harmonising this type of OP assay, setting a new benchmark in the field. Ove...

Oxidative potential (OP) is increasingly recognized as a more health-relevant metric than particulate matter (PM) mass concentration because of its response to varying chemical compositions. Given the limited research on the OP of complex combustion aerosols, the effects of aging processes on their OP remain underexplored. We used online instrument...

In recent decades, several cell-based and acellular methods have been developed to evaluate ambient particulate matter (PM) toxicity. Although cell-based methods provide a more comprehensive assessment of PM toxicity, their...

This paper presents the findings from a collaborative interlaboratory comparison exercise designed to assess oxidative potential (OP) measurements conducted by 20 laboratories worldwide. This study represents an innovative effort as the first exercise specifically aimed at harmonising this type of OP assay, setting a new benchmark in the field. Ove...

The oxidative potential (OP) of ambient particulate matter (PM) is a common metric for estimating PM toxicity and linking PM exposure to adverse health effects. Organic aerosol (OA), a dominant fraction of ambient PM worldwide, may significantly contribute to PM toxicity. Here, we investigated the source‐based OA components contributing to the OP o...

Most fine ambient particulate matter (PM2.5)-based epidemiological models use globalized concentration-response (CR) functions assuming that the toxicity of PM2.5 is solely mass-dependent without considering its chemical composition. Although oxidative potential (OP) has emerged as an alternate metric of PM2.5 toxicity, the association between PM2....

We investigated the influence of biomass burning (BURN), Diwali fireworks, and fog events on the ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) oxidative potential (OP) during the postmonsoon (PMON) and winter season in Delhi, India. The real-time hourly averaged OP (based on a dithiothreitol assay) and PM2.5 chemical composition were measured intermitten...

Previous studies have indicated the roles of both organic compounds and metals in driving the cellular generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS); however, their contribution has not been adequately quantified using mechanistic approaches. We developed a novel fractionation scheme for the stepwise removal of various classes of organic compounds an...

In recent years, the Indian capital city of Delhi has been impacted by very high levels of air pollution, especially during winter. Comprehensive knowledge of the composition and sources of the organic aerosol (OA), which constitutes a substantial fraction of total particulate mass (PM) in Delhi, is central to formulating effective public health po...

In recent years, the Indian capital city of Delhi has been impacted by very high levels of air pollution, especially during winters. Comprehensive knowledge of the composition and sources of the organic aerosol (OA), which constitutes a substantial fraction of total particulate mass (PM) in Delhi, is central to formulating effective public health p...

Several automated instruments exist to measure the acellular oxidative potential (OP) of ambient particulate matter (PM). However, cellular OP of the ambient PM is still measured manually, which severely limits the comparison between two types of assays. Cellular assays could provide a more comprehensive assessment of the PM-induced oxidative stres...

We assessed the oxidative potential (OP) of both water-soluble and methanol-soluble fractions of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the Midwestern United States. A large set of PM2.5 samples (N=241) was collected from five sites set up in different environments, i.e., urban, rural, and roadside, in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri during May...

Several automated instruments exist to measure the acellular oxidative potential (OP) of ambient particulate matter (PM). However, cellular OP of the ambient PM is still measured manually, which severely limits the comparison between two types of assays. Cellular assays could provide a more comprehensive assessment of the PM-induced oxidative stres...

We assessed the oxidative potential (OP) of both water-soluble and methanol-soluble fractions of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the midwestern United States. A large set of PM2.5 samples (N = 241) were collected from five sites, setup in different environments, i.e. urban, rural and roadside, in Illinois, Indiana and Missouri during May...

Much of human exposure to particulate matter (PM) of ambient origin occurs indoors. While the oxidative potential (OP) of PM is an emerging indicator of the intrinsic toxicity of PM, little is known about the OP of indoor PM of ambient origin. Here we characterize the OP of indoor and outdoor size-resolved PM in an unoccupied apartment unit in Chic...

Wearing a mask population-wide is an important preventive measure in addressing COVID-19 and potential future pandemics. We showed how a household microwave oven, a coat-hanger, and a coffee cup can generate plasma that can be used to decontaminate N95 respirators in less than 1 minute. We proved that microwave-generated plasma can reduce infectivi...

We show how a common microwave oven, a coat-hanger and a coffee cup can be used to decontaminate N-95 respirators in 30 seconds. Tulane virus in the artificial saliva was reduced by >3 log and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores were reduced by >6 log. Respirators maintained filtration and fit even after 10 cycles. Filtration and fit tests perfor...

We show how a common microwave oven, a coat-hanger and a coffee cup can be used to decontaminate N-95 respirators in 30 seconds. Tulane virus in artificial saliva was reduced by >3 log and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores were reduced by >6 log. Respirators maintained filtration and fitting after 10 cycles.

A pandemic such as COVID-19 can cause a sudden depletion in the worldwide supply of respirators, forcing healthcare providers to reuse them. In this study, we systematically evaluated dry heat treatment as a viable option for the safe decontamination of N95 respirators (1860, 3M) before its reuse. We found that the dry heat generated by an electric...

div> A pandemic such as COVID-19 can cause a depletion of face respirators throughout the world, forcing temporal respirator reuse. In this research, dry heat was systematically evaluated by decontamination, filtration performance, and qualitative fit testing to help safe reuse of N95 (1860, 3M) respirators. As a result, the dry heat generated by...

Although PM2.5 toxicity is known to be related to its chemical composition, the effect of interactions among various particles' components on the toxicity is not well explored. To understand these interactions, especially metals and organic compounds on PM2.5 cytotoxicity, we chose several redox-active substances known to be present in the ambient...

Many acellular assays have been developed for assessing the oxidative potential (OP) of ambient PM2.5, yet no consensus has been reached on the most appropriate method. Most of these methods are highly time- and labor-intensive, making it difficult to analyze a large sample-set. Here, we have developed a semi-automated multi-endpoint ROS-activity a...

The capability of ambient fine particles in generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) (referred to as the oxidative potential of PM2.5) has been associated with their health effects on human. Many chemical assay protocols have been developed in determining OP, yet no consensus has been reached in selecting the most relevant method, as different endp...

Oxidative stress is a potential mechanism of action for particulate matter (PM) toxicity and can occur when the body’s antioxidant capacity cannot counteract or detoxify harmful effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to an excess presence of ROS. ROS are introduced to the body via inhalation of PM with these species present on and/or within t...

We investigated the complexation state of atmospheric iron and copper and its impact on the oxidative potential (OP) of ambient PM2.5. A novel fractionation scheme was developed to segregate three different fractions of Fe and Cu present in ambient PM2.5: (i) complexed with hydrophobic organic compounds, (ii) complexed with hydrophilic organic comp...

It is hypothesized that PM2.5 with high oxidative potential (OP) can catalytically generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in excess of the body’s antioxidant capacity, leading to oxidative stress. Therefore, two advanced methods for conducting source apportionment, along with field experiments characterizing air quality, are used to identify the so...

Fine particle mass concentration is the metric used to characterize exposure of populations to ambient aerosols and to relate this exposure to the consequent health impacts. As an alternative to mass, recent research has focused on the application of potentially more relevant health-related aerosol properties, such as aerosol oxidative potential (O...

The current national ambient air quality standards for PM 2.5 are based on particulate matter (PM) mass. Although epidemiological research conducted in the last few decades has associated PM mass with both respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, the heterogeneous and inconsistent nature of these associations suggests that not all components of PM...

Oxidative potential (OP) of particulate matter measures the ability of particles to catalytically generate reactive oxygen species while simultaneously depleting antioxidants, leading to oxidative stress and, in turn, inflammation in the respiratory tract and cardiovascular system. OP measurements have been linked with adverse cardiorespiratory end...

We developed an online instrument for measuring the oxidative potential (OP) of ambient particulate matter (PM) using dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. The instrument uses a mist chamber (MC) to continuously collect the ambient PM2.5 in water, followed by its DTT activity determination using an automated syringe pump system. The instrument was deployed a...

We assessed mammalian cell cytotoxicity of ambient PM2.5 and investigated its association with the oxidative potential (OP) and chemical composition of the particles. Sixteen PM samples spanning in various seasons (fall, winter, spring and summer) were collected from an urban site in central Illinois. Cytotoxicity (LC50) in terms of the volume of a...

We assessed the interactions among the particulate matter (PM) components in generating the reactive oxygen species (ROS) based on a dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. We started with the standard solutions of known redox-active substances, i.e. quinones (9,10-phenanthraquinone, 1,2-naphthoquinone, 1,4-naphthoquinone and 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone) and...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1289/EHP1545.].

Background: Oxidative potential (OP) has been proposed as a measure of toxicity of ambient particulate matter (PM). Objectives: Our goal was to address an important research gap by using daily OP measurements to conduct population-level analysis of the health effects of measured ambient OP. Methods: A semi-automated dithiothreitol (DTT) analyt...

To investigate the relative impacts of emissions from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), as well as the impacts of traffic emissions from freeways, on the oxidative potential of particulate matter (PM), PM0.25were collected at two urban background locations in Los Angeles. Redox activity of the PM samples was measured by means of an in vitro...

An automated analytical system was developed for measuring the oxidative potential (OP) with the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay of filter extracts that include both water-soluble and water-insoluble (solid) aerosol species. Three approaches for measuring total oxidative potential were compared. These include using methanol as the solvent with (1) and w...

Although exposure to traffic emissions is frequently associated with negative health impacts, few studies have measured air pollution directly in-vehicle, and limited measurements of daily commuter exposure exist. This research, part of the Atlanta Commuter Exposures (ACE) Study, assesses on-roadway in-cabin particulate pollution (PM2.5) collected...

Ambient particulate matter (PM) may upset redox homeostasis leading to oxidative stress and adverse health effects. Size distributions of water-insoluble and water-soluble OP^DTT (dithiothreitol assay, measure of oxidative potential per air volume) are reported for a road-side and urban site. The average water-insoluble fractions were 23% and 51%,...

We measured the rate of generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)] catalyzed by ambient particulate matter (PM) in the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. A fluorescent-based approach (disodium terephthalate for •OH and Amplex Red for H2O2) was used for the ROS measurement. To understand the mechanism...

An automated analytical system was developed for measuring the oxidative potential (OP) with the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay of filter extracts that include both water-soluble and water-insoluble (solid) aerosol species. Three approaches for measuring total oxidative potential were compared. These include using methanol as the solvent with (1) and w...

Soluble transition metals in particulate matter (PM) can generate reactive oxygen species in vivo by redox cycling, leading to oxidative stress and adverse health effects. Most metals, such as those from roadway traffic, are emitted in an insoluble form, but must be soluble for redox cycling. Here we present the mechanism of metals dissolution by h...

Roadside trash burning is largely unexamined as a factor that influences air quality, radiative forcing, and human health even though it is ubiquitously practiced across many global regions, including throughout India. The objective of this research is to examine characteristics and redox activity of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) associated with...

Elevated particulate matter (PM) concentrations have been associated with cardiopulmonary risks. In this study, alveolar macrophages and ventricular myocytes were exposed to PM extracts from 104 ambient filters collected in multiple rural and urban sites in the greater Atlanta area. PM-induced reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) were measure...

The ability of certain components of particulate matter to induce oxidative stress through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo may be one mechanism accounting for observed linkages between ambient aerosols and adverse health outcomes. A variety of assays have been used to measure this so-called aerosol oxidative potential. We de...

The ability of certain components of particulate matter to induce oxidative stress through catalytic generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo may be one mechanism accounting for observed linkages between ambient aerosols and adverse health outcomes. A variety of assays have been used to measure this so-called aerosol oxidative potential....

Exposure to atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality, but the mechanisms are not well understood. We assess the hypothesis that PM2.5 induces oxidative stress in the body via catalytic generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). A dithiothreitol (DTT) assay was used to measure the ROS...

In this paper, we present a technique to identify the redox-active components of fine organic aerosols by fractionating humic-like substances (HULIS). We applied this technique to a dithiothreitol (DTT) assay - a measure of the capability of PM to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), and assessed the contribution of quinones to the DTT activity...

Water-soluble redox-active metals are potentially toxic due to the ability to catalytically generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo, leading to oxidative stress. As part of the Southeastern Center for Air Pollution and Epidemiology (SCAPE), we developed a method to quantify water-soluble elements, including redox-active metals, from a large...

We compare the relative toxicity of various organic aerosol (OA) components identified by an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) based on their ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Ambient fine aerosols were collected from urban (three in Atlanta, GA and one in Birmingham, AL) and rural (Yorkville, GA and Centerville, AL) sites in the Sou...

A variety of methods are used to measure the capability of particulate matter (PM) to catalytically generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo, also defined as the aerosol oxidative potential. A widely used measure of aerosol oxidative potential is the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay, which monitors the depletion of DTT (a surrogate for cellular ant...

We assess the potential of the water-soluble fraction of atmospheric fine aerosols in the southeastern United States to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and identify major ROS-associated emission sources. ROS-generation potential of particles was quantified by the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay and involved analysis of fine particulate matter (PM...

A variety of methods are used to measure the capability of particulate matter (PM) to catalytically generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo, also defined as the aerosol oxidative potential. A widely used measure of aerosol oxidative potential is the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay, which monitors the depletion of DTT (a surrogate for cellular ant...

Currently, there are a limited number of field studies that evaluate the long-term performance of the Aerodyne Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) against established monitoring networks. In this study, we present seasonal intercomparisons of the ACSM with collocated fine aerosol (PM2.5) measurements at the Southeastern Aerosol Research and...

The Aerodyne Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) was recently developed to provide long-term real-time continuous measurements of ambient non-refractory (i.e., organic, sulfate, ammonium, nitrate, and chloride) submicron particulate matter (NR-PM1). Currently, there are a limited number of field studies that evaluate the long-term performanc...

The extent to which human activities affect secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation and evolution is highly uncertain and poorly understood. It is established that aerosol formed from biogenic sources is the dominant contributor to global SOA. However, there exists an apparent contradiction that OA is predominately “modern” (indicative of a bioge...

Relative contributions of water- and methanol-soluble compounds and their hydrophobic/hydrophilic subfractions to the ROS (reactive oxygen species)-generating potential of ambient fine aerosols (D(p) < 2.5 μm) are assessed. ROS-generating (or oxidative) potential of the particulate matter (PM) was measured by the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. Particl...

This study examines the physicochemical and redox profiles of atmospheric semi-volatile compounds to evaluate their contribution to the oxidative potential of ambient particulate matter (PM). Concentrated ambient and thermodenuded quasi-ultrafine particles (<180 nm) were collected using the versatile aerosol concentration enrichment system (VACES)...

We assessed the contribution of water-soluble transition metals to the reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity of diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) from four heavy-duty vehicles in five retrofitted configurations (V-SCRT, Z-SCRT, DPX, hybrid, and school bus). A heavy-duty truck without any control device served as the baseline vehicle. Particles were...

Recent toxicological studies have confirmed the oxidative properties of atmospheric aerosols and their capability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in biological systems (Chen and Lippmann, 2009). While the links between aerosol toxicity and refractory transition metals present in ambient particulate matter (PM) have been documented, there...

Continuous coarse particulate matter (CPM, PM10−2.5) concentrations were measured hourly at three different sites in the Los Angeles area from April 2008 through May 2009 as part of a larger study of the characteristics and toxicology of CPM. Mean hourly concentrations calculated seasonally ranged from less than 5 μg m to near 70 μg m at the three...

Advanced exhaust after-treatment devices for diesel vehicles are less effective in controlling semivolatile species than the refractory PM fractions. This study investigated the oxidative potential (OP) of PM from vehicles with six retrofitted technologies (vanadium and zeolite based selective catalytic reduction (V-SCRT, Z-SCRT), Continuously rege...

To characterize the impact of the October 2007 wildfires on the air quality of Los Angeles, integrated ambient particulate matter (PM) samples were collected near the University of Southern California between October 24 and November 14, 2007. Samples were analyzed for different chemical species (i.e.,water-soluble organic carbon, water-soluble elem...

Emission control technologies designed to meet the 2007 and 2010 emission standards for heavy-duty diesel vehicles (HDDV) remove effectively the non-volatile fraction of particles, but are comparatively less efficient at controlling the semi-volatile components. A collaborative study between the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Univers...