The present report summarizes the results of the project EngToxGas, concerning the toxicological research of exhaust aerosols from different Gasoline Passenger Cars with direct injection. An approach of in vitro exposure used in this project is that the toxic effects of exhaust gases as an aerosol containing gaseous components as well as particulate matter and nanoparticles can be investigated in a global way, by exposing the living cells, or cell cultures to the aerosol, which means a simultaneous superposition of all toxic effects from all active components.
The modern gasoline vehicles with three ways catalyst have a very low level of emissions, so the short-term toxic influences (acute exposure 6h) on the exposed biomaterial are quite weak. With longer exposure time (simulating chronical exposure) the indicators of oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions were more clearly visible.
A very important effect of the exhaust filtration (gasoline particle filter GPF) was the elimination of the naonaerosol with unavoidable positive implications on health.