Sea spray aerosols (SSA) are respirable particles created by wind and wave action. They are widely distributed in the air over the coast and contain many marine-originated bioactive molecules (e.g., enzymes, bacterial toxins and antitoxins). Upon interaction with the human immune system, airborne exposure to SSA and their microbial components has been suggested as an explanation for coastal health benefits. Known as important triggers of immune responses, the present study investigated the concentration of bacterial endotoxin in SSA and their impact on innate immune pathways. In SSA collected with a Coriolis Microbial air sampler at the beach of Ostend (Belgium) and generated in the laboratory using a Marine Aerosol Reference Tank (MART) we measured average endotoxin concentrations between 2 403.37 ± 4 081.40 EU mL-1 and 2 796.50 ± 2 765.14 EU mL-1, which were both correlated to the bacteria number in samples. Exposure of human reporter cells lines demonstrated the ability of SSA to induce innate immune responses linked to the endotoxin content of samples. Despite the results indicate the activation of genes playing a key role in the mediation of the human immune response, more research is required to evaluate how SSA can contribute to coastal health benefits.
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