Sources, characteristics, toxicity, and control of ultrafine particles: An overview

Air pollution by particulate matter (PM) is one of the main threats to human health, particularly in large cities where pollution levels are continually exceeded. According to their source of emission, geography, and local meteorology, the pollutant particles vary in size and composition. These particles are conditioned to the aerodynamic diameter and thus classified as coarse (25-10 mu m), fine (0.1-2.5 mu m). and ultrafine (<0.1 mu m), where the degree of toxicity becomes greater for smaller particles. These particles can get into the lungs and translocate into vital organs due to their size, causing significant human health consequences. Besides, PM pollutants have been linked to respiratory conditions, genotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic activity in human beings. This paper presents an overview of emission sources, physicochemical characteristics, collection and measurement methodologies, toxicity, and existing control mechanisms for ultrafine particles (UFPs) in the last fifteen years. (C) 2021 China University of Geosciences (Beijing) and Peking University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.

Automated summary

Air pollution caused by particulate matter is a major threat to human health, especially in large cities. The size, composition, and toxicity of these particles vary. Ultrafine particles have a greater impact on human health as they can enter the lungs and vital organs, leading to diseases. In addition, particulate matter pollution is associated with respiratory conditions, genotoxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity.