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In vitro tests simulating the elements release from inhaled urban particulate matter (PM) with artificial lung fluids (Gamble's and Hatch's solutions) and simulated gastric and pancreatic solutions were applied for an estimation of hazardous element (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) bio-accessibility in this material. An inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were employed for the element determination in extracted solutions. The effect of the extraction agent used, extraction time, sample-to-extractant ratio, sample particle size and/or individual element properties was evaluated. Different patterns of individual elements were observed, comparing Hatch's solution vs. simulated gastric and pancreatic solutions. For Hatch's solution, a decreasing sample-to-extractant ratio in a PM size fraction of <0.063 mm resulted in increasing leached contents of all investigated elements. As already proved for other operationally defined extraction procedures, the extractable element portions are affected not only by their mobility in the particulate matter itself but also by the sample preparation procedure. Results of simulated in vitro tests can be applied for the reasonable estimation of bio-accessible element portions in the particulate matter as an alternative method, which, consequently, initiates further examinations including potential in vivo assessments.

The basic right to healthy indoor air has been emphasized almost two decades ago by the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 and then, the improvement of indoor air quality (IAQ) was included in the regional priority goals of the Children's Environmental Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) and adopted by the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in 2004. 2 Children, one of the most vulnerable groups, spend approximately 6-9 h per weekday in primary school buildings in Europe. Accordingly, several national and international research projects have already been conducted in the past two decades to investigate the association between the concentration of indoor air pollutants and the health outcomes for children at public settings and to promote the health and well-being of children.The HESE study (Health Effects of the School Environment;2004 was the first European project, which provided data on both IAQ and health effects with a wide geographic coverage. 3 In total, twenty-one schools located in five countries were investigated and several IAQ-related problems were identified,

The development of quality control materials for the determination of selected trace elements in air pollution studies is described. Three types of test samples were prepared for proficiency testing: (1) filters loaded with PM10 fraction of urban air particulate matter (APM) using high-volume air samplers, which were subsequently divided into smaller sections, (2) a bulk sample of APM collected in an automobile tunnel in Prague, and (3) simulated air filters loaded with APM using a wet deposition process. Homogeneity of the test samples was studied using instrumental neutron activation analysis, proton induced X-ray emission and atomic absorption spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and mass spectrometry. Sufficiently homogeneous samples were prepared by all three procedures. The simulated air filters appeared to be the most suitable test samples for proficiency testing.