Superfund Research Program
October 2026
By Rohita Patil
Air pollutants collected after a chemical plant fire in Shepherd, Texas, triggered signs of oxidative stress in human lung cells, according to a study funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP). Researchers from the Texas A&M University SRP Center also found higher levels of several volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and metals near the incident site following the fire.
Industrial fires can release complex mixtures of pollutants that change quickly over time, making it difficult to understand potential health effects. The researchers aimed to characterize air pollution following the fire and determine whether pollutant mixtures collected from the surrounding air could trigger biological responses in respiratory cells.
The researchers measured airborne pollutants two days after the fire, which occurred on November 8, 2023. They collected samples using water-soluble gelatin filters near the incident site and at a location 15 miles downwind and analyzed them for VOCs and metals. Next, they exposed human bronchial epithelial cells to the collected mixtures.
Compared to the downwind site and seasonally matched samples collected two years later, the incident site had higher levels of the VOCs benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, as well as several metals. Lung cells exposed to these samples showed increased activity of HMOX1, a gene involved in protecting cells from oxidative stress.
According to the authors, the findings suggest that short-term exposure to complex air pollution mixtures following industrial fires can trigger biological stress in respiratory cells. The study highlights the value of collecting air samples after industrial disasters to better understand how complex pollutant mixtures may affect respiratory health.
To learn more, please refer to the following source:
Lampe OCG, Matthews TJ, Verma A, Lam BP, Vitucci ECM, Cannon CL, Han A, Chellam S, Johnson NM. 2026. Linking ambient fire emissions to respiratory effects using gelatin filter sampling. J Hazard Mater. 515:142991. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.142991. PMID: 42462612.