Harmful effects of aerosol heavy metals on child health can be increased by their association with organic matter
Nina Prokopčiuk·Arunas Valiulis·Ulrich Franck·Karolina Ščeliokienė·Ugne Zaveckyte·Olga Bielousova·Mindaugas Butikis·Nikolaj Tarasiuk·Lukas Vaidelys
Background It's known that heavy metals are among the most toxic micropollutants. In aerosol particles, heavy metals can be present as chemical compounds and bound to organic matter (ligands). Unlike chemical compounds, the bond between microelements and organic matter is weaker and can be easily destroyed by bacteria releasing biologically active forms of micropollutants. Objective To evaluate the impact of the level of association between aerosol heavy metals and organic matter on the incidenc