Particulate matter (PM) is one of the most common air pollution sources causing various health-related conditions like cardiovascular diseases. However, among the three major PM types, UFPs have not yet been independently studied for their toxic effects on human health. In this study, we collected airborne dusts from Chuncheon-si, Republic of Korea, and analyzed it to understand the structural and chemical features of UFPs by using transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The TEM result showed UFP size to be within 100 nm, with some even appearing about 10 nm in size, while the X-ray spectroscopic studies implied the presence of sulfur to be a part of the UFPs chemical composition. We extended our study by carrying out in vitro cell analysis to understand the cellular response upon UFPs treatment. Our results serve as an analytical platform providing the preliminary information about the structural and compositional aspects of UFPs that can be attributed to further understanding of sulfur-induced human diseases.

中文翻译：

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空气中超细颗粒的电子显微镜和光谱分析：其对细胞活力的影响

颗粒物 (PM) 是最常见的空气污染源之一，会导致各种与健康相关的疾病，如心血管疾病。然而，在三种主要的 PM 类型中，尚未对 UFP 对人类健康的毒性影响进行独立研究。在这项研究中，我们从韩国春川市收集了空气中的灰尘，并通过使用透射电子显微镜 (TEM)、能量色散 X 射线光谱 (EDX) 和分析它来了解 UFP 的结构和化学特征。 X 射线光电子能谱 (XPS)。TEM 结果显示 UFP 尺寸在 100 nm 以内，有些甚至出现在 10 nm 左右，而 X 射线光谱研究表明硫的存在是 UFP 化学成分的一部分。我们通过进行体外细胞分析来扩展我们的研究，以了解 UFP 处理后的细胞反应。我们的结果作为一个分析平台，提供了有关 UFP 结构和组成方面的初步信息，这些信息可归因于进一步了解硫引起的人类疾病。