Unraveling the Different Drivers of PM 2.5 Mass and Oxidative Potential at Two Sites of Southern Italy
5 affiliations
- 1Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Innovazione, Università del Salento, Via Per Monteroni 165, Lecce 73100, Italy
- 2Istituto di Scienze dell’Atmosfera e del Clima (ISAC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Str. Prv. Lecce-Monteroni km 1.2, Lecce 73100, Italy
- 3Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali DiSTeBA, Università del Salento, Via Per Monteroni 165, Lecce 73100, Italy
- 4Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università del Salento, Via Per Arnesano, Lecce 73100, Italy
- 5Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Bari, Via Orabona 4, Bari 70126, Italy
Abstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The oxidative potential (OP) of PM 2.5 was investigated during two measurement campaigns in 2024 (winter and summer) done simultaneously at an urban background and a traffic site. The research provides unprecedented chemical detail for this region, integrating elemental analysis (ED-XRF), carbonaceous fractions (OC/EC, WSOC), major ions, organic tracers (sugars/levoglucosan), and water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON). The OP was quantified by using two assays: dithiothreitol (OP DTT ) and ascorbic acid (OP AA ). Source apportionment revealed competing trends of sources limiting spatial and seasonal variabilities and distinct drivers for the two OP assays. Traffic emerged as the primary contributor to OP AA at both sites, while OP DTT was influenced by traffic, secondary organic aerosols (SOAs), biomass burning, and resuspension/construction. Sea spray, nitrate, and construction-related emissions significantly impacted OP DTT but had a negligible effect on OP AA . Primary biological aerosols (fungal spores) influenced the OP AA . Seasonal variations showed dominance of traffic and biomass burning in winter (50–60% of OP), whereas sulfate and SOA became prominent during summer, for OP DTT . OP AA peaked in summer, while OP DTT peaked in winter. Traffic-induced SOA exhibits a higher redox activity relative to its mass contribution, opposite to sulfate. Season-dependent mitigation strategies could be useful to effectively reduce the oxidative burden of PM 2.5 .
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BibTeX
@article{poti2026unraveling,
title = {{Unraveling the Different Drivers of PM 2.5 Mass and Oxidative Potential at Two Sites of Southern Italy}},
author = {Serena Potì and Laura Martina and Florin Unga and Daniela Cesari and Adelaide Dinoi and Antonio Pennetta and Ermelinda Bloise and Paola Semeraro and Giuseppe Deluca and Cirillo Luca Ciricugno and Livia Giotta and Maria Giulia Lionetto and Lucio Calcagnile and Annarosa Mangone and Maria Rachele Guascito and Daniele Contini},
journal = {Environmental Science \& Technology},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1021/acs.est.6c02676},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6c02676},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Unraveling the Different Drivers of PM 2.5 Mass and Oxidative Potential at Two Sites of Southern Italy
AU - Serena Potì
AU - Laura Martina
AU - Florin Unga
AU - Daniela Cesari
AU - Adelaide Dinoi
AU - Antonio Pennetta
AU - Ermelinda Bloise
AU - Paola Semeraro
AU - Giuseppe Deluca
AU - Cirillo Luca Ciricugno
AU - Livia Giotta
AU - Maria Giulia Lionetto
AU - Lucio Calcagnile
AU - Annarosa Mangone
AU - Maria Rachele Guascito
AU - Daniele Contini
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/25
JO - Environmental Science & Technology
DO - 10.1021/acs.est.6c02676
UR - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6c02676
AB - High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The oxidative potential (OP) of PM 2.5 was investigated during two measurement campaigns in 2024 (winter and summer) done simultaneously at an urban background and a traffic site. The research provides unprecedented chemical detail for this region, integrating elemental analysis (ED-XRF), carbonaceous fractions (OC/EC, WSOC), major ions, organic tracers (sugars/levoglucosan), and water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON). The OP was quantified by using two assays: dithiothreitol (OP DTT ) and ascorbic acid (OP AA ). Source apportionment revealed competing trends of sources limiting spatial and seasonal variabilities and distinct drivers for the two OP assays. Traffic emerged as the primary contributor to OP AA at both sites, while OP DTT was influenced by traffic, secondary organic aerosols (SOAs), biomass burning, and resuspension/construction. Sea spray, nitrate, and construction-related emissions significantly impacted OP DTT but had a negligible effect on OP AA . Primary biological aerosols (fungal spores) influenced the OP AA . Seasonal variations showed dominance of traffic and biomass burning in winter (50–60% of OP), whereas sulfate and SOA became prominent during summer, for OP DTT . OP AA peaked in summer, while OP DTT peaked in winter. Traffic-induced SOA exhibits a higher redox activity relative to its mass contribution, opposite to sulfate. Season-dependent mitigation strategies could be useful to effectively reduce the oxidative burden of PM 2.5 .
SN - 0013-936X
SN - 1520-5851
ER -