Distribution of Nitro-PAHs in Size-Segregated Particulate Matter Fractions from an Elevated Car Transit Area

One of the most important pollutant in the atmosphereis the airborne particulate matter (PM) with a small aerodynamicsize of the solid particles. PM smaller than 3.5 μm(PM3.5) is easily inhaled and constitutes a potential hazardfor human health. We previously demonstrated, in two differentareas from the city of Catania (Sicily, Italy), that nonfractionatedPM is partially responsible for the genotoxicactivity, as determined by the high level of cytogeneticdamages on exposed in vitro cell culture systems. Moreover,we also documented that the well known class ofgenotoxic compounds, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs), is largely present in the PM with smallerparticle size. Now we analysed the PM on the same area inorder to test the presence of nitrated PAH (nitro-PAHs),another class of genotoxic compounds strictly related to thePAHs.