Comparative toxicity of airborne fine and ultrafine particles from different regions and emission sources

Air pollution, mainly with airborne particulate matter (PM), is one of the leading global risks to human health. The toxicity of airborne PM is linked to particles’ dimension and chemical composition and is greatly affected by regional and seasonal variations, as well as by the local emission sources. Fine (FP) and ultrafine (UFP) particles are nowadays considered the most deleterious fractions, because they penetrate in the profound lung, where can hit the respiratory barrier and translocate to secondary organs. In this presentation, the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of PM2.5 collected in Milan (Italy) and Giza (Egypt) on in vitro lung cells will be displayed. The variations in PM2.5 chemical composition, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals, will also be discussed in relation to the geographical and seasonal variations. Since diesel and biomass combustion-derived ultrafine particles (UFPs) largely contribute to the PM2.5 pollution, additional toxicity studies have been performed by testing combustion particles from different diesel and biomass sources. The results clearly indicate the variability in the cytotoxic effects exerted by UFPs derived from different sources and burning conditions. The chemical and toxicity data presented will improve our knowledge on the health hazards associated with PM2.5 and UFP exposure and may be considered in the planning of future mitigation strategies. Acknowledgments: Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (proj. ID PGR00786); Egyptian Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF) (proj. ID 26001); Fondazione Cariplo (proj. ID 2013-1038)