Clean air is essential for the maintenance of human life and environmental balance. The atmospheric particulate matter (PM) is one of the main air pollutants and is characterized by the heterogeneity of its composition, being able to accumulate numerous components, such as metallic elements, which contribute to increasing its toxicity. The objectives of this study were to assess of the air quality in two urban environments, to carry out the source apportionment of the metallic elements Al, Ba, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn in the PM2.5 and PM2.5-10, and evaluate the toxicity of PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 water-soluble fractions using Lactuca sativa as bioindicator. The collection of PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 was performed using a dichotomous stacked filter unit (SFU) sampler. The source apportionment was carried out using the EPA PMF 5.0 receptor model and the toxicity tests followed the EPA Ecological Effects Test Guidelines OPPTS 850.4200: Seed Germination/Root Elongation Toxicity Test. The source apportionment demonstrated that vehicular and industrial emissions are the main anthropogenic sources contributing to the concentration of metallic elements to thePM2.5 and PM2.5-10. The studied sites did not show statistically significant differences in terms of phytotoxicity to the Lactuca sativa seeds. Cd and Cu were identified as the main metallic elements which able to cause negative effects on seed germination and root elongation, respectively. The presence of cadmium and copper in the atmospheric particulate matter is one of the main causes of the phytotoxicity affecting the Lactuca sativa seed germination and root elongation.

中文翻译：

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城市大气颗粒物中金属元素的来源分配及其水溶性分数毒性的评估。

清洁空气对于维持人类生命和环境平衡至关重要。大气颗粒物（PM）是主要的空气污染物之一，其特征在于其成分的异质性，能够积聚许多成分，例如金属元素，这些成分会增加其毒性。这项研究的目的是评估两个城市环境中的空气质量，并对PM2中的金属元素Al，Ba，Cd，Pb，Cu，Cr，Fe，Mn，Ni和Zn进行源分配.5和PM2.5-10，并使用紫花苜蓿作为生物指示剂评估PM2.5和PM2.5-10水溶性级分的毒性。使用二分堆叠式过滤器（SFU）采样器进行PM2.5和PM2.5-10的收集。源分配使用EPA PMF 5进行。0受体模型和毒性测试遵循EPA生态效应测试指南OPPTS 850.4200：种子发芽/根伸长毒性测试。污染源分配表明，车辆和工业排放是造成PM2.5和PM2.5-10中金属元素浓度升高的主要人为源。在对紫花苜蓿种子的植物毒性方面，研究地点没有显示统计学上的显着差异。镉和铜被确定为主要金属元素，它们分别对种子发芽和根系伸长产生负面影响。大气颗粒物中镉和铜的存在是影响紫草种子萌发和根伸长的植物毒性的主要原因之一。