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Cited by 66Atmospheric chemistry and aerosolsAir Quality and Health ImpactsToxic Organic Pollutants Impact

Enhanced toxicity of aerosol in fog conditions in the Po Valley, Italy

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Decesari, Stefano, Sowlat, Mohammad Hossein, Hasheminassab, Sina, Sandrini, Silvia, Gilardoni, Stefania, Facchini, Maria Cristina, Fuzzi, Sandro, Sioutas, Constantinos·2017·Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
DOI 10.5194/acp-17-7721-2017

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Abstract

Abstract. While numerous studies have demonstrated the association between outdoor exposure to atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and adverse health effects, the actual chemical species responsible for PM toxicological properties remain a subject of investigation. We provide here reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity data for PM samples collected at a rural site in the Po Valley, Italy, during the fog season (i.e., November–March). We show that the intrinsic ROS activity of Po Valley PM, which is mainly composed of biomass burning and secondary aerosols, is comparable to that of traffic-related particles in urban areas. The airborne concentration of PM components responsible for the ROS activity decreases in fog conditions, when water-soluble species are scavenged within the droplets. Due to this partitioning effect of fog, the measured ROS activity of fog water was contributed mainly by water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and secondary inorganic ions rather than by transition metals. We found that the intrinsic ROS activity of fog droplets is even greater (> 2.5 times) than that of the PM on which droplets are formed, indicating that redox-active compounds are not only scavenged from the particulate phase, but are also produced within the droplets. Therefore, even if fog formation exerts a scavenging effect on PM mass and redox-active compounds, the aqueous-phase formation of reactive secondary organic compounds can eventually enhance ROS activity of PM when fog evaporates. These findings, based on a case study during a field campaign in November 2015, indicate that a significant portion of airborne toxicity in the Po Valley is largely produced by environmental conditions (fog formation and fog processing) and not simply by the emission and transport of pollutants.

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  • Fog-processed particulate matter is more toxic.

    “and is hence more toxic.”

    From Local Arctic Air Pollution: A Neglected but Serious Problem (2018) · cites this paper as Decesari et al., 2017

    The Results (§3.1) report substantially higher intrinsic ROS activity in fog water than in the original aerosol. The Abstract says fog processing can enhance PM ROS activity when fog evaporates, but presents that increase as a possibility rather than a measured, universal increase in the toxicity of fog-processed particulate matter. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Fog-processed particulate matter contains more reactive oxygen species.

    “Further, there is evidence that fog processes PM contains more reactive oxygen species (Decesari et al., 2017)”

    From Local Arctic Air Pollution: A Neglected but Serious Problem (2018) · cites this paper as Decesari et al., 2017

    The Abstract (page unavailable) reports that fog droplets had more than 2.5 times the intrinsic ROS activity of the PM on which they formed, and says fog processing can eventually enhance PM ROS activity after evaporation. It does not establish that fog-processed PM generally contains more ROS: the measured comparison concerns ROS activity, and the post-evaporation increase is presented as a possibility. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Fog-processed PM can be more harmful to health.

    “Hence, the fog-processed PM can be more harmful to health (Decesari et al., 2017).”

    From Local Arctic Air Pollution: A Neglected but Serious Problem (2018) · cites this paper as Decesari et al., 2017

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Authors
Decesari, S., Sowlat, M. H., Hasheminassab, S., Sandrini, S., Gilardoni, S., Facchini, M. C., Fuzzi, S., & Sioutas, C.
Affiliations
  • Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (IT)
  • University of Southern California (US)
Corresponding author
Decesari, Stefano
ORCID
Venue
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Publisher
Copernicus GmbH
Published
2017-06-28
Volume
17
Issue
12
Pages
7721-7731
ISSN
  • 1680-7316 (ISSN-L)
  • 1680-7324
DOI
10.5194/acp-17-7721-2017
OpenAlex
W2586638297
Cited by
66
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 4
FWCI
4.12
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Atmospheric chemistry and physics (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Seventh Framework Programme (603445)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Air Quality and Health Impacts
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
Keywords
particulate matter toxicity, reactive oxygen species, fog, water-soluble organic carbon, secondary organic aerosol, biomass burning aerosols, secondary inorganic ions, redox-active molecules, Po Valley, rural air pollution

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