Impact of Particulate Matter on Air Quality

Abstract

Particulate matter (PM) is a minor component of the atmosphere generated from natural and anthropogenic sources, whose characteristics are reflected in its composition. The PM particle size is related to the residence time in the atmosphere and the level of penetration in the human respiratory system. The presence of certain elements and chemical substances in the PM composition can be used as a tool to identify polluting sources. In addition, some of these particles, such as black carbon and brown carbon, can directly interfere with climate change by absorbing or reflecting the radiation in the atmosphere. Therefore, this review article aims to discuss the importance of PM, including aspects of classification, occurrence, sources, chemical composition, health and climatic effects.

Atmospheric Pollutants in a Commercial Region of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil: Integration of Health, Environment and Economy in Urban Planning to Improve Air Quality

“…For this reason, they are called thoracic particles PM 10 , on the other hand, can pass through the nasal and oral cavities and penetrate to the larynx. In the case of ultrafine particles, PM 0.1 can pass from the pulmonary alveoli and reach the circulatory system (Brito et al, 2018). The particles can come from both biogenic and anthropogenic sources, where anthropogenic sources are generally composed of ultrafine particles, while biogenic sources are commonly composed of coarse particles (Avino et al, 2016).…”