Benchmark dose determining airborne crystalline silica particles based on A549 lung-cell line survival in an in vitro study

Abstract Crystalline silica has emerged as a prominent occupational toxicant over extended periods, leading to the development of lung fibrosis and cancer. The objective of this investigation is to establish a benchmark dose (BMD) for crystalline silica micro and nanoparticles based on the viability of the A549 lung-cell line. The impact of exposure to crystalline silica micro-particles (C-SiO2 MPs) and crystalline silica nanoparticles (C-SiO2 NPs) on A549 epithelial lung cells was examined for durations of 24 and 72 hours to evaluate cell viability using the MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The determination of dose-response and BMD was carried out through the BMD software v 3.2. The findings reveal a dose-dependent relationship between cell viability and both C-SiO2 MPs and -NPs. The BMDL values for 24-h treatment of C-SiO2 MPs and -NPs were determined to be 2.26 and 0.97 µg/ml, respectively, based on exponential models. Correspondingly, these values were found to be 1.17 and 0.85 µg/ml for the 72-h treatment. This investigation underscores the significance of particle size as a contributing factor in assessing occupational health risks. Moreover, the utilization of BMDL can facilitate the determination of more precise values for occupational exposures by considering various parameters associated with particle presence.