The 2024 Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting, held from 10-14 March at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, attracted over 5,000 global professionals. The event featured 70+ scientific sessions and over 2,000 poster presentations, covering critical topics like engine toxicology and the impact of emissions on respiratory health.

Our partner Tereza Cervena from the Institute of Experimental Medicine, Prague, presented her study titled “Toxicity Assessment of Light-Duty Vehicle Emissions Using Air-Liquid Interface in Real Driving Emission Methodology” executed in the context of the PAREMPI project.

This research investigated the toxicological effects of emissions from various Euro class vehicles under real driving emission (RDE) conditions, tested at two temperatures (+23°C and -9°C). The results highlighted significant differences in the chemical composition of emissions between Euro 5 and Euro 6 vehicles, with Euro 5 vehicles showing higher concentrations of organic compounds and nitrates. While overall cell toxicity remained low, the study found increased toxicity when vehicles were tested at -9°C, emphasizing the temperature-dependent nature of exhaust toxicity. These findings have important implications for assessing the health impacts of emissions in colder climates.

This research, supported by the EU’s Horizon Europe PAREMPI project, sheds light on the influence of environmental conditions on emission toxicity and underscores the need for advanced emission control technologies.