Date of Award
1-1-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences
First Advisor
Courtney L. Roper
Second Advisor
Kristine L. Willett
Third Advisor
James A. Stewart
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Particulate matter (PM) is the solid and liquid portion of air pollution that can be found at various size fractions, including PM2.5, which is 2.5 μm or smaller in aerodynamic diameter. PM is a complex mixture, containing a wide variety of chemical constituents, including inorganic compounds (heavy metals), organic compounds (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and pesticides, that have been individually linked to human health impacts. These include cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, but due to its small size and chemical composition, PM has the ability enter into systemic circulation and cause dysregulation of other physiological processes, such as neurodevelopment and reproduction, which are widely understudied. Given that air pollution is ubiquitous and that over 90% of the world’s population breathes polluted air, understanding the systemic effects of PM exposure is of utmost importance. Additionally, leveraging the powerful zebrafish model to study systemic effects of PM exposure is a valuable approach that helps fill knowledge gaps in the field while conserving the time and resources that human or rodent studies require. Therefore, this work aims to I) evaluate the chemical composition- and biological impacts- of indoor and personal PM2.5 exposure based on fuel sources used for cooking and heating, II) examine impacts of PM exposure on zebrafish behavior and molecular indicators of reproductive function, and III) identify autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-like behavioral alterations in zebrafish exposed to particulate matter. The present work found that fuel sources influence both the chemical composition and biological impacts of PM2.5 and that these factors also vary based on sampler type (stationary kitchen vs. portable personal). Molecular-level changes to reproductive and oxidative stress-related genes and behavioral changes that result from PM exposure in zebrafish were dependent on wildtype strain and PM fraction. Finally, zebrafish exposed to PM were found to exhibit behavioral changes, but not similar to those exhibited by ASD-induced larvae, and melatonin did not ameliorate the behavioral alterations in either case. This work contributes niche data to the current body of evidence in air pollution toxicology, which helps to address research gaps about the health impacts of PM exposure, ultimately enabling more accurate risk assessments and the creation of more effective guidelines and regulation for the protection of human and environmental health.
Recommended Citation
Victoria, Shayla, "Leveraging the Zebrafish Model for the Study of Human Health Impacts of Particulate Matter Exposure: Exploring Biological Effects of Fuel Source Emissions, Autism Spectrum Disorder-Like Behaviors, and Molecular-Level Reproductive Impacts" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3404.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/3404