Impact of the Airborne Particulate Matter on the Human Health

Particulate matter (PM) is a mixture of many different components with local and regional variations. Traffic is a major source of PM10, PM2.5, and ultrafine particles (UFP); traffic intensity contributes significantly to PM-related health effects. Recently attention has been paid to urban PM1 concentrations (50% of PM10) and its elemental composition, and it has been demonstrated that traffic intensity influences the PM physicochemical characteristics, particularly with regard to concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), metals, and radical-generating capacity. PM2.5 and the even smaller UFP penetrate deeply into the lung and reach the alveoli and are thus more likely to induce adverse health effects than larger particles, such as PM10 and total suspended particles (TSPs). Epidemiological approaches are relevant, and numerous data have been furnished by the literature from 1970: time-series analyses and cohort studies, case-crossover studies, cross-sectional studies, panel studies, and case-control studies are the records present.