Fifteen Years of Airborne Particulates in Vitro Toxicology in Milano: Lessons and Perspectives Learned

Abstract

Air pollution is one of the world’s leading environmental causes of death. The epidemiological relationship between outdoor air pollution and the onset of health diseases associated with death is now well established. Relevant toxicological proofs are now dissecting the molecular processes that cause inflammation, reactive species generation, and DNA damage. In addition, new data are pointing out the role of airborne particulates in the modulation of genes and microRNAs potentially involved in the onset of human diseases. In the present review we collect the relevant findings on airborne particulates of one of the biggest hot spots of air pollution in Europe (i.e., the Po Valley), in the largest urban area of this region, Milan. The different aerodynamic fractions are discussed separately with a specific focus on fine and ultrafine particles that are now the main focus of several studies. Results are compared with more recent international findings. Possible future perspectives of research are proposed to create a new discussion among scientists working on the toxicological effects of airborne particles.

Commuters’ Personal Exposure Assessment and Evaluation of Inhaled Dose to Different Atmospheric Pollutants

“…As reported by Longhin and collaborators [22], Milan is the biggest city in the Po Valley area, Italy, with 1.3 million inhabitants, and one of the most populous metropolitan cities in Europe, with more than 7.5 million inhabitants (considering the Milanese Metropolitan area). As reported elsewhere, [23], the Po Valley has experienced several air pollution episodes in the past decades, due to the (i) topography, (ii) high population density, and (iii) high atmospheric stability during wintertime.…”

The impact of stay-home policies during Coronavirus-19 pandemic on the chemical and toxicological characteristics of ambient PM2.5 in the metropolitan area of Milan, Italy

“…Earlier studies across the Po Valley have shown that PM oxidative potential is influenced by the concentrations of metals (e.g., Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu) and carbonaceous species (e.g., OC, EC) ( Hakimzadeh et al, 2020 ; Longhin et al, 2020 ; Pietrogrande et al, 2019 ; Visentin et al, 2016 ). These species are mainly associated with road traffic, domestic biomass burning, oil combustion, and SOA across Italy ( Larsen et al, 2012 ; Pietrogrande et al, 2019 ); however, it has been shown that the oxidative potential of PM in the Po Valley region, and in particular in the Milan metropolitan area, is elevated due to the high density of anthropogenic emission sources in conjunction with specific stable atmospheric conditions, favoring the accumulation and aging of particles in the atmosphere ( Perrone et al, 2016 , Perrone et al, 2010 ; Pietrogrande et al, 2019 ).…”

Systemic Exposure to Air Pollution Induces Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Mouse Brain, Contributing to Neurodegeneration Onset

“…In Lombardy (northern Italy), solid biomass burning for domestic heating and diesel combustion used for private and public transport are estimated to be the major sources of fine particle emissions (PM 2.5 , d a < 2.5 µm), accounting for 49.8% and 21.5%, respectively [6][7][8]. However, biomass burning and diesel combustion mainly produce particles of 15-30 nm in diameter, often aggregated; therefore, these processes are considered significant contributors to UFP emission [9,10].…”