Ryan Strader SOT2025 abstract entitled: "Burn Pit Related Smoke Causes Acute Irritant Responses from Common Burn Pit Materials to Zebrafish Larvae that Vary by Fuel Type"
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Combustion of mixed materials during open air burning of refuse and housefires produces emissions that worsen air quality, water quality, and cause adverse health effects. The purpose of this study was to assess the irritant potential of extractable organic material of smoke condensates derived from the combustion of 5 different material types (plywood, cardboard, plastic, a mixture of all three, and a mixture plus diesel) in a glass tube furnace. Irritant locomotor responses were measured in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae, a model that demonstrates irritant effects to chemicals that are analogous to mammals. It was hypothesized that smoke-induced locomotor responses would be dependent upon fuel type. To test this, locomotor activity was tracked in the dark for 60 min in 6-day-old zebrafish larvae immediately after exposure to 0.4% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) vehicle or smoke extracts (0.4–40 μg/ml; half-log intervals). Findings showed for all groups that fish exposed to higher concentrations of extracts displayed elevated locomotor responses compared to the control group. At the highest concentration some extracts, including emissions from plastic and plywood, were overtly toxic, observed as a sedative-like effect on fish locomotion. In contrast other extracts, like cardboard, were irritating at the highest concentrations (i.e., caused hyperactivity) but not overtly toxic, suggesting less potency than plastic. Responses were concentration-dependent, with the lowest concentrations deviating little from the control. Based on these findings we conclude that burn pit-related smoke has concentration-dependent irritating effects that are influenced by material type burned, and that emissions from plywood and plastic were the most irritant of the five tested. (Abstract does not reflect U.S. EPA policy; DoD award #W811XWH-18-1-0731(IJ)).