In this work, PM10 samples previously subjected to thorough chemical speciation and receptor modelling, have been investigated for their bio-toxicity using an inhibition test based on bacterial luminescence modulation when in contact with airborne particulate samples. The variation of light emission intensity from a luminescent bacteria strain, the Photobacterium phosphoreum, is proposed as an efficient proxy for the quantification of bio-toxic effects induced by airborne particulate matter. PM10 samples characterized by definite levels of pollutants from the pertaining air shed were found to induce a decrease in the bacterial bioluminescence intensity, expressed as percentage of Inhibition Ratio (IR%). This behaviour suggests the decay of this energy-consuming activity because of a toxic effect. Cluster analysis on chemical composition and IR% data provides evidence of a statistically significant association between the adverse effects on living cells and the range of specific chemical species in PM10.
Keywords: Bioluminescent bacteria; Chemometric multivariate analysis; PM10; Toxicity.
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