Particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture of particles that changes over time and from place to place; however, most PM is caused by the fuel combustion of motor vehicles and industry. PM is associated with acute and chronic illnesses, such as pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. Medellín is one of the most polluted cities in Latin America. Therefore, the physicochemical characterization of its PM is necessary to understand its composition and effect on human health. In this study, PM was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), inductivity-coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in order to evaluate its morphology and chemical composition. The SEM of the PM exhibited primary particles and agglomerates. The size of the particles ranged between 0.056 and 4.5 μm. The EDS revealed elements such as carbon, silicon, calcium, lead, and iron. Furthermore, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and carbonyl and aliphatic functional groups were observed by means of FTIR. Additionally, weight losses associated with volatile matter and elemental carbon were identified in the TGA analysis. The TGA and FTIR confirmed the presence of fuel and lubricant traces. Subsequently, lead was selected among the most common components in the PM in order to conduct an in silico study into its effect on ventricular activity. Lead showed a pro-arrhythmic effect by shortening the duration of the action potential under normal electrophysiological conditions, which could be associated with cardiovascular diseases.

颗粒物（PM）是颗粒的复杂混合物，会随时间和位置而变化。但是，大多数PM是由机动车和工业的燃料燃烧引起的。PM与急性和慢性疾病有关，例如肺和心血管疾病。麦德林是拉丁美洲污染最严重的城市之一。因此，其PM的理化表征对于了解其成分及其对人体健康的影响是必要的。在这项研究中，PM的特征在于扫描电子显微镜（SEM），能量色散X射线光谱（EDS）分析，傅立叶红外光谱（FTIR），电感耦合等离子体发射光谱（ICP-OES）和热重分析（ TGA）以评估其形态和化学成分。PM的SEM显示出初级颗粒和附聚物。颗粒的尺寸在0.056至4.5μm之间。EDS揭示了碳，硅，钙，铅和铁等元素。此外，通过FTIR观察到一氧化碳，二氧化碳以及羰基和脂族官能团。另外，在TGA分析中确定了与挥发性物质和元素碳相关的重量损失。TGA和FTIR确认存在燃油和润滑油的痕迹。随后，从PM中最常见的成分中选择了铅，以进行计算机模拟研究其对心室活动的影响。铅可通过缩短正常电生理条件下动作电位的持续时间来表现出心律失常作用，这可能与心血管疾病有关。