Fine particulate matter (PM1 and PM2.5) was collected in Milan over the summer (August-September) and winter (January-March) seasons of 2007/2008. Particles were analyzed for their chemical composition (inorganic ions, elements and PAHs) and the effects produced on the human lung carcinoma epithelial cell line A549. In vitro tests were performed to assess cell viability with MTT assay, cytokine release (IL-6 and IL-8) with ELISA, and DNA damage with COMET assay. Results were investigated by bivariate analysis and multivariate data analysis (Principal Component Analysis, PCA) to investigate the relationship between PM chemical composition and the biological effects produced by cell exposure to 12 μg cm-2. The different seasonal chemical composition of PM showed to influence some biological properties. Summer PM samples had a high mass contribution of SO4= (13 ± 2%) and were enriched in some elements, like Al, As, Cr, Cu, and Zn, compared to winter PM samples. Cell viability reduction was two times higher for summer PM samples in comparison with winter ones (27 ± 5% and 14 ± 5%, respectively), and the highest correlation coefficients between cell viability reduction and single chemical components were with As (R2 = 0.57) and SO4= (R2 = 0.47). PM1 affected cell viability reduction and induced IL-8 release, and these events were interrelated (R2 = 0.95), and apparently connected with the same chemical compounds. PM2.5 fraction, which was enriched in Ca++ and Mg++ (from soil dust), and Al, Fe, Zn, Ba Mn, produced cell viability reduction and DNA damage (R2 = 0.73). © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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