PM10 in a background urban site: Chemical characteristics and biological effects

PM₁₀ was sampled in a background urban site in Torino, a northern Italian city. PM₁₀ extracts were tested with THP-1 and A-549 cells to evaluate their effects on cell proliferation, LDH activity, TNFα, IL8 and CYP1A1 expression, and genotoxic damage induction (Comet assay). Through Principal Component Analysis (PCA), it was observed that (1) the aqueous extracts induced the inhibition of cell proliferation in the warm season that clustered together to total ions, (2) organic extracts determined a winter cell viability reduction and (3) there was a genotoxic effect associated with PAH and metal concentrations. The analysed low PAH levels were unable to induce significant CYP1A1 expression. The results obtained confirmed that PM composition and seasonality play an important role in particle-induced toxicity. The presence of PM₁₀-induced biological effects at a low polluted site suggested that a reduction of PM₁₀ mass did not seem to be sufficient to reduce its toxicity.