Table 1.
Specific components of PM2.5 and possible mechanisms for the association with ischemic stroke.
| Different components of PM2.5 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water-soluble inorganic ions (water-soluble anions and cations) | Carbon-containing fractions | Inorganic elements | Organic matter | Microorganisms | ||||||
| Specific components | Sulfate–nitrate–ammonium salts (SNA) | Organic carbon (OC) | Heavy metal elements | Insoluble organic compounds | Living organisms | |||||
| Cations | Primary organic carbon (POC) | Major elements (Al/Mg/Ca etc.) | Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) | Bacteria | ||||||
| Ammonium (NH4+) | Secondary organic carbon (SOC) | Minor elements (Ti/Cu/Zn etc.) | Aliphatic hydrocarbons | Viruses | ||||||
| Calcium (Ca2+) | Elemental carbon (EC) (light-absorbing carbon or black carbon) | Trace elements (Be/Ag/Cd etc.) | etc. | Fungal spores | ||||||
| etc. | Carbonate carbon (CC) | Other inorganic elements | Water-soluble organic compounds | etc. | ||||||
| Anions | Bromine (Br) | Carboxylic acids | Dead microorganisms or their related components | |||||||
| Sulfate (SO42−) | etc. | Phenols | Endotoxins | |||||||
| Nitrate (NO3−) | etc. | β-glucans | ||||||||
| etc. | etc. | |||||||||
| Possible mechanisms |
Oxidative stress Chronic inflammation Platelet aggregation Vascular endothelial cell injury etc. |
Atherosclerosis Platelet aggregation Accelerated plaque formation Cardiac autonomic dysfunction etc. |
Genetic mutations Neural interference Disturbance of the body's dynamic equilibrium and biological processes etc. |
Bioaccumulation Atherosclerosis Oxidative stress induced mutations etc. |
Atherosclerosis Inflammatory injury Vascular endothelial dysfunction Hematologic changes (hypercoagulability) etc. |
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