Global Perspective on the Oxidative Potential of Airborne Particulate Matter: A Synthesis of Research Findings

An emerging hypothesis in the field of air pollution is that oxidative stress is one of the important pathways leading to adverse health effects of airborne particulate matter (PM). To advance our understanding of sources and chemical elements contributing to aerosol oxidative potential and provide global comparative data, we report here on the biological oxidative potential associated with size-segregated airborne PM in different urban areas of the world, measured by a biological (cell-based) reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay. Our synthesis indicates a generally greater intrinsic PM oxidative potential as well as higher levels of exposure to redox-active PM in developing areas of the world. Moreover, on the basis of our observations, smaller size fractions are generally associated with higher intrinsic ROS activity compared with larger PM size fractions. Another important outcome of our study is the identification of major species and sources that are associated with ROS activity. Water-soluble transition metals (e.g., Fe, Ni, Cu, Cr, Mn, Zn and V) and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) showed consistent correlations with the oxidative potential of airborne PM across different urban areas and size ranges. The major PM sources associated with these chemical species include residual/fuel oil combustion, traffic emissions, and secondary organic aerosol formation, indicating that these sources are major drivers of PM-induced oxidative potential. Moreover, comparison of ROS activity levels across different seasons indicated that photochemical aging increases the intrinsic oxidative potential of airborne PM.