Beyond PM2.5: The role of ultrafine particles on adverse health effects of air pollution

Abstract

Background: Air pollution constitutes the major threat to human health, whereas their adverse impacts and underlying mechanisms of different particular matters are not clearly defined.

Scope of review: Ultrafine particles (UFPs) are high related to the anthropogenic emission sources, i.e. combustion engines and power plants. Their composition, source, typical characters, oxidative effects, potential exposure routes and health risks were thoroughly reviewed.

Major conclusions: UFPs play a major role in adverse impacts on human health and require further investigations in future toxicological research of air pollution.

General significance: Unlike PM2.5, UFPs may have much more impacts on human health considering loads of evidences emerging from particulate matters and nanotoxicology research fields. The knowledge of nanotoxicology contributes to the understanding of toxicity mechanisms of airborne UFPs in air pollution. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Air Pollution, edited by Wenjun Ding, Andrew J. Ghio and Weidong Wu.

Keywords: Air pollution; Nanotoxicology; PM(0.1); PM(2.5); Toxicology; Ultrafine particles.