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Abstract:The role of the single PM components in inducing the catalytic generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), has not yet been clarified. Different a-cellular assay are currently used in the literature for the determination of the PM oxidative potential (OP), which is considered as a predictive index of its capacity to generate ROS in biological organisms. In order to better understand the existing correlations between PO and PM generated by specific emission sources, the water soluble and insoluble fractions of seven dust coming from specific sources were chemically characterised and analysed by three PO assays: the dithiothreitol (DTT, the acid ascorbic (AA) and the 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin (DCFH) assays. PO and chemical data were elaborated by principal constituent analysis. The three methods responded in a very different way to each dust; they are then no-interchangeable and probably none of them is able to correctly predict the ROS generation in biological organisms. DTT was particularly sensitive to organic compounds, while AA was mostly influenced by inorganic components. DCFH results are more difficult to interpret and need to be further deepened. Furthermore, the results confirmed the important role played by the insoluble components of dusts in generating oxidative processes.

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