Genotoxicity induced in vitro by water-soluble indoor PM fractions in relation to heavy metal concentrations.

The aim of the present study was to examine the genotoxicity induced by water-soluble fractions of particulate matter (PM) and its potential relation with heavy metals. For this purpose, the genotoxicity induced on human peripheral lymphocytes by water-soluble PM (particles with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) collected from the indoor air of various workplaces in Greece (n = 20), was examined by the Sister Chromatid Exchange (SCE) induction assay and assessed in relation to the concentrations of the heavy metals Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni, Co, Zn, Cr, and Cd.

Indoor concentrations of PM and associated water-soluble and labile heavy metal fractions in workplaces: implications for inhalation health risk assessment.

PM (i.e., particles with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.