Acrolein environmental levels and potential for human exposure

Abstract

This article provides environmental information on acrolein including environmental fate, potential for human exposure, analytical methods, and a listing of regulations and advisories. Acrolein may be released to the environment in emissions and effluents from its manufacturing and use facilities, in emissions from combustion processes (including cigarette smoking and combustion of petrochemical fuels), from direct application to water and waste water as a slimicide and aquatic herbicide, as a photooxidation product of various hydrocarbon pollutants found in air (including propylene and 1,3-butadiene), and from land disposal of some organic waste materials. Acrolein is a reactive compound and is unstable in the environment. The general population may be exposed to acrolein through inhalation of contaminated air and through ingestion of certain foods. Important sources of acrolein exposure are via inhalation of tobacco smoke and environmental tobacco smoke and via the overheating of fats contained in all living matter. There is potential for exposure to acrolein in many occupational settings as the result of its varied uses and its formation during the combustion and pyrolysis of materials such as wood, petrochemical fuels, and plastics.

Matrix Metalloproteinase-14 Mediates a Phenotypic Shift in the Airways to Increase Mucin Production

“…Inhaled or endogenously generated acrolein reacts directly with protein and nonprotein sulfhydryl groups, mainly at the cell surface, and with primary and secondary amines found in the intracellular proteins (34,35). In lungs, MMP14 is expressed on surface epithelial cells (75,76) (Figures 5 and 6).…”

“…Acrolein levels in second-hand tobacco smoke are elevated compared with mainstream smoke, because concentrations are increased in side-stream smoke due to altered tobacco combustion at lower temperatures (34)(35)(36). More than 30 million nonsmokers in the United States are exposed to acrolein concentrations in indoor air ranging from 0.8 to 1.5 ppm and levels between 0.1 and 10 ppm have been detected in bars and restaurants (35,(37)(38)(39).…”

“…More than 30 million nonsmokers in the United States are exposed to acrolein concentrations in indoor air ranging from 0.8 to 1.5 ppm and levels between 0.1 and 10 ppm have been detected in bars and restaurants (35,(37)(38)(39). Acrolein is also generated by biomass fuel combustion and high-temperature cooking with oils (especially in woks) and is the major irritant in grassland and forest fires, and diesel exhaust (34,35,40,41). In addition to exogenous exposure, acrolein is endogenously generated in inflamed tissues from threonine by myeloperoxidase activation (42)(43)(44)(45), spermine or spermidine by amine oxidase-mediated catabolism (46-50), or possibly membrane fatty acids by oxidative degradation (35,(51)(52)(53).…”

Toxicology of the Herbicide Acrolein: Risk Assessment in Aquatic Environments

“…Estimated volatilization half-lives for a model river and lake (1 m deep) were 7.6 hours and 4.6 days, respectively (HSDB, 2010). In the atmosphere, the primary removal mechanism for acrolein is through the reaction with hydroxyl radicals with a half-life between 15-20 hours (Faroon et al, 2008). It is unlikely that acrolein bioaccumulate or bioconcentrate significantly in aquatic organisms (WHO, 1991).…”

Mechanisms Underlying Acrolein-Mediated Inhibition of Chromatin Assembly

“…A crolein (Acr) is an ␣,␤-unsaturated aldehyde that ubiquitously exists in cigarette smoke, kitchen cooking oil, and exhaust of automobiles (1)(2)(3). Acr has been implicated in the development of multiple human diseases, such as bladder cancer (4), lung cancer (5-7), Alzheimer's disease (8)(9)(10), and cardiovascular diseases (11,12).…”