Table 1. Components of PM2.5.
The adverse effects of PM2.5 on cardiovascular health vary according to different source and pollutant composition. The components of PM2.5 can be largely divided into two categories: primary aerosols, which include metals and other elements, and secondary aerosols, which are produced by the gas-to-aerosol chemical conversions [4]. This table was adapted and modified from Al-Kindi et al. [4] and Brown et al. [28].
| Aerosol type | Element / compound | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Primary aerosols (metals and elements) | Potassium (K) | Biomass; refuse incineration; refuse incineration; soil |
| Sodium (Na) | Sea salt | |
| Calcium (Ca) | Cement; soil and road dust | |
| Aluminum (Al) | Coal burning; soil and road dust | |
| Selenium (Se) | Coal burning | |
| Cobalt (Co) | Coal burning | |
| Arsenic (As) | Coal burning | |
| Iron (Fe) | Industries; oil burning; soil | |
| Zinc (Zn) | Industries; refuse incineration; auto-related | |
| Copper (Cu) | Industries; auto-related | |
| Lead (Pb) | Industries; refuse incineration | |
| Silicon (Si) | Soil and road dust | |
| Vanadium (V) | Oil burning | |
| Nickel (Ni) | Oil burning | |
| Manganese (Mn) | Oil burning | |
| Titanium (Ti) | Soil | |
| Elemental carbon (EC) | Biomass, diesel and petrol; auto-related | |
| Organic carbon (OC) | Biomass, diesel and petrol; auto-related | |
| Secondary aerosols (gas-to-aerosol chemical conversions) | Sulfates (SO4) from O2 emissions | Diesel and coal combustion |
| Nitrates (NO3) from NOx emissions | High-temperature combustion | |
| Ammonium (NH4) from NH3 emissions | Fertilizer usage and animal husbandry | |
| Organic aerosol from volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions | Biomass, diesel, petrol and gas combustion |