Effect of freeze-thaw manipulation on phytostabilization of industrially contaminated soil with halloysite nanotubes.

The latest trends in improving the performance properties of soils contaminated with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) relate to the possibility of using raw additives, including halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) due to eco-friendliness, and inexpensiveness. Lolium perenne L. was cultivated for 52 days in a greenhouse and then moved to a freezing-thawing chamber for 64 days. HNT addition into PTE-contaminated soil cultivated with grass under freezing-thawing conditions (FTC) was tested to demonstrate PTE immobilization during phytostabilization. The relative yields increased by 47% in HNT-enriched soil in a greenhouse, while under FTC decreased by 17% compared to the adequate greenhouse series. The higher PTE accumulation in roots in HNT presence was evident both in greenhouse and chamber conditions. (Cr/Cd and Cu)-relative contents were reduced in soil HNT-enriched-not-FTC-exposed, while (Cr and Cu) in HNT-enriched-FTC-exposed. PTE-immobilization was discernible by (Cd/Cr/Pb and Zn)-redistribution into the reducible fraction and (Cu/Ni and Zn) into the residual fraction in soil HNT-enriched-not-FTC-exposed. FTC and HNT facilitated transformation to the residual fraction mainly for Pb. Based on PTE-distribution patterns and redistribution indexes, HNT's role in increasing PTE stability in soils not-FTC-exposed is more pronounced than in FTC-exposed compared to the adequate series. Sphingomonas, Acidobacterium, and Mycobacterium appeared in all soils. HNTs mitigated FTC's negative effect on microbial diversity and increased Planctomycetia abundance.

New approach strategy for heavy metals immobilization and microbiome structure long-term industrially contaminated soils.

The progress of engineering technologies highly influences the development of methods that lead to the condition improvement of areas contaminated with heavy metals (HMs). The aided phytostabilization fits into this trend, and was used to evaluate HM-immobilization effectiveness in phytostabilized soils under variable temperatures by applying 16 freezing-thawing cycles (FTC). Diatomite amendment and Lolium perenne L., also were applied. Cd/Ni/Cu/Pb/Zn each total content in phytostabilized soils were determined, along with the verification for each metal of its distribution in four extracted fractions (F1 ÷ F4) from soils. Based on changes in HM distribution, each metal's stability was estimated. Moreover, HM accumulation in plant roots and stems and soil microbial composition were investigated. Independently of the experimental variant (no-FTC-exposure or FTC-exposure), the above-ground biomass yields in the diatomite-amended series were higher as compared to the corresponding control series. The evident changes in Pb/Zn-bioavailability were observed. The metal stability increase was mainly attributed to metal concentration decreasing in the F1 fraction and increasing in the F4 fraction, respectively. Diatomite increased Cd/Zn-stability in not-FTC-exposed-phytostabilized soils. FTC-exposure favorably influenced Pb/Zn stability. Diatomite increased soil pH values and Cd/Ni/Cu/Zn-bioaccumulation (except Pb) in roots than in stems (in both experimental variants). FTC-exposure influenced soil microbial composition, increasing bacteria abundance belonging to Actinobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Sphingobacteria. At the genus level, FTC exposure significantly increased the abundances of Limnobacter sp., Tetrasphaera sp., Flavobacterium sp., and Dyella sp. Independently of the experimental variant, Sphingomonas sp. and Mycobacterium sp., which have a tolerance to HM contamination, were core bacterial groups, comprising about 6 ÷ 7% of all soil bacteria.

Inhalation risk to PAHs and BTEX during barbecuing: The role of fuel/food type and route of exposure.

The manuscript presents an innovative and holistic approach to quantifying PAHs and BTEX emissions from the grilling process and indicates a novel driven-toxicity-based solution to recognize health effects related to BBQ emissions. The exposure scenario includes the type of grilling device, food type, and individual attitudes, but also a keen understanding of the broad health implications related to the gaseous/particulate PAHs emission, or age-related effects. The calculated incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) associated with the exposure to PAH congeners and BTEX indicates an unacceptable level in the case of charcoal and briquette grilling with the highest values for professional cooks. The sum of 15 PAH concentrations in grilled foods was highest for meat grilling over charcoal briquettes - 382,020.39 ng/m3 and lowest for meat grilling on a gas grill - 1442.16 ng/m3. The emissions of BTEX from lump charcoal grilling were 130 times higher compared to the gaseous grill. In all considered scenarios lump-charcoal and charcoal briquettes grilling derive the ILCR above the 10-4, indicating negative effects of traditional grills on human health. The paper completes knowledge of wide-ranging health implications associated with BBQs, a topic that is almost completely unaddressed among the scientific community and policymakers.

Particulate Matter Concentration in Selected Facilities as an Indicator of Exposure to Their Service Activities.

In recent years, the correlation between the concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere and inside buildings has been reported as high. The air inside living quarters and public utility buildings or the interiors of public transport vehicles, as well as the relationship between the internal and external sources of particulate matter (PM) and gaseous pollutants, have underwent sufficient research. On the other hand, non-production rooms, i.e., offices, restaurants, beauty salons, etc. remain very poorly recognized in this respect. For the above reasons, the aim of this work is to determine the difference in the total dust (TSP) and respirable PM (PM4) concentrations in selected rooms, i.e., offices and beauty centers, in relation to their outdoor concentrations. They were measured at six locations in accordance with the standard for the conditions at workplaces by means of PM aspirators. Indoor concentrations of TSP and PM4 were much higher than those in the external surroundings of the facilities. There were no significant relationships between the TSP and PM4 concentrations inside and outside tested rooms. Although the characteristic of the internal PM essentially depends on the characteristics of the external PM migrating to the interior of the premises, considering some types of non-production premises, internal emissions fundamentally changed the characteristics of PM.

New insights into submicron particles impact on visibility.

The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of very fine atmospheric particles (submicron particulate matter; PM1) on visibility deterioration. Taking into consideration not only their entirely different physio-chemical properties in comparison to a well-recognized PM10 but also the origin and a growing environmental awareness of PM1, the main research problem has been solved in few steps. At first, the chemical composition of PM1 was determined in two selected urban areas in Poland. Measurements of meteorological parameters, i.e., air temperature and humidity, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, and visibility, were also conducted. The next step of the work was the analysis of (1) seasonal changes of the concentration of PM1 and its main components, (2) the influence of chemical components of PM1 on light extinction, and (3) the influence of PM1 and humidity on visibility. Hierarchical cluster analysis, correlation matrixes and a heat map, and classification and regression tree analysis were used. The light extinction coefficient is influenced mainly by coarse mass of PM, and PM1-bound ammonium nitrate, organic matter, and by Rayleigh scattering. The less important in the light extinction coefficient shaping has PM1-bound ammonium sulfate, elemental carbon, and soil. In this way, the secondary origin PM1 components were proved to most significantly influence the visibility. The obtained results confirmed the possibility of the use of statistical agglomeration techniques to identify ranges of variation of visibility, including independent variables adopted to analyses (meteorological conditions, chemical composition of PM1, etc.).

In Search of a Soil Moisture Content Simulation Model: Mechanistic and Data Mining Approach Based on TDR Method Results.

Soil moisture content simulation models have continuously been an important research objective. In particular, the comparisons of the performance of different model types deserve proper attention. Therefore, the quality of selected physically-based and statistical models was analyzed utilizing the data from the Time Domain Reflectometry technique. An E-Test measurement system was applied with the reflectogram interpreted into soil volumetric moisture content by proper calibration equations. The gathered data facilitated to calibrate the physical model of Deardorff and establish parameters of: support vector machines, multivariate adaptive regression spline, and boosted trees model. The general likelihood uncertainty estimation revealed the sensitivity of individual model parameters. As it was assumed, a simple structure of statistical models was achieved but no direct physical interpretation of their parameters, contrary to a physically-based method. The TDR technique proved useful for the calibration of different soil moisture models and a satisfactory quality for their future exploitation.

Curcumin from Turmeric Rhizome: A Potential Modulator of DNA Methylation Machinery in Breast Cancer Inhibition.

One of the most systematically studied bioactive nutraceuticals for its benefits in the management of various diseases is the turmeric-derived compounds: curcumin. Turmeric obtained from the rhizome of a perennial herb Curcuma longa L. is a condiment commonly used in our diet. Curcumin is well known for its potential role in inhibiting cancer by targeting epigenetic machinery, with DNA methylation at the forefront. The dynamic DNA methylation processes serve as an adaptive mechanism to a wide variety of environmental factors, including diet. Every healthy tissue has a precise DNA methylation pattern that changes during cancer development, forming a cancer-specific design. Hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes, global DNA demethylation, and promoter hypomethylation of oncogenes and prometastatic genes are hallmarks of nearly all types of cancer, including breast cancer. Curcumin has been shown to modulate epigenetic events that are dysregulated in cancer cells and possess the potential to prevent cancer or enhance the effects of conventional anti-cancer therapy. Although mechanisms underlying curcumin-mediated changes in the epigenome remain to be fully elucidated, the mode of action targeting both hypermethylated and hypomethylated genes in cancer is promising for cancer chemoprevention. This review provides a comprehensive discussion of potential epigenetic mechanisms of curcumin in reversing altered patterns of DNA methylation in breast cancer that is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among females worldwide. Insight into the other bioactive components of turmeric rhizome as potential epigenetic modifiers has been indicated as well.

Insight into metal immobilization and microbial community structure in soil from a steel disposal dump phytostabilized with composted, pyrolyzed or gasified wastes.

The soil system is a key component of the environment that can serve as a sink of pollutants. Using processed waste for aided phytostabilization of metals (HMs) in contaminated soils is an attractive phytoremediation technique that integrates waste utilization and recycling. In this study, we evaluated the effect of biologically and thermally processed wastes, i.e. sewage sludge compost (CSS), poultry feather ash (AGF) and willow chip biochar (BWC), on phytostabilization of contaminated soil from a steel disposal dump. Greenhouse experiments with Lupinus luteus L. and amendments (dosage: 3.0%, w/w) were conducted for 58 days. Soil toxicity was evaluated with Ostracodtoxkit and Phytotoxkit tests. At the end of the experiment, soil pH, plant biomass yield, and HM accumulation in plant tissues were determined. HM distribution, HM stability (reduced partition index) and potential environmental risk (mRI index) in the soil were assessed. During phytostabilization, changes in the diversity of the rhizospheric bacterial community were monitored. All amendments significantly increased soil pH and biomass yield and decreased soil phytotoxicity. AGF and BWC increased accumulation of individual HMs by L. luteus roots better than CSS (Cu and Cr, and Ni and Zn, respectively). The soil amendments did not improve Pb accumulation by the roots. Improvements in HM stability depended on amendment type: Ni and Pb stability were improved by all amendments; Zn stability, by AGF, and BWC; Cd stability, by AGF; and Cr stability, by BWC. AGF reduced the mRI most effectively. Microbial diversity in amended soils increased with time of phytostabilization and was up to 9% higher in CSS amended soil than in control soil. AGF application favored the abundance of the genera Arenimonas, Brevundimonas, Gemmatimonas and Variovorax, whose metabolic potential could have contributed to the better plant growth and lower mRI in that soil. In conclusion, AGF and BWC have great potential for restoring steel disposal dump areas, and the strategies researched here can contribute to achieving targets for sustainable development.

Successful Outcome of Phytostabilization in Cr(VI) Contaminated Soils Amended with Alkalizing Additives.

This study analysed the effect of three alkalizing soil amendments (limestone, dolomite chalcedonite) on aided phytostabilization with Festuca rubra L. depending on the hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) level in contaminated soil. Four different levels of Cr(VI) were added to the soil (0, 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg). The Cr contents in the plant roots and above-ground parts and the soil (total and extracted Cr by 0.01 M CaCl2) were determined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The phytotoxicity of the soil was also determined. Soil amended with chalcedonite significantly increased F. rubra biomass. Chalcedonite and limestone favored a considerable accumulation of Cr in the roots. The application of dolomite and limestone to soil contaminated with Cr(VI) contributed to a significant increase in pH values and was found to be the most effective in reducing total Cr and CaCl2-extracted Cr contents from the soil. F. rubra in combination with a chalcedonite amendment appears to be a promising solution for phytostabilization of Cr(VI)-contaminated areas. The use of this model can contribute to reducing human exposure to Cr(VI) and its associated health risks.

Using Mosses as Bioindicators of Potentially Toxic Element Contamination in Ecologically Valuable Areas Located in the Vicinity of a Road: A Case Study.

This study analyzed the impact of road transportation on the concentration of Zn, Ni, Pb, Co, and Cd in moss (Pleurozium schreberi). The study was carried out over five years near a national road running from the north to the east (Poland) in the area of Natura 2000 sites. Samples were collected at three significantly different locations: (1) near a sharp bend, (2) near a straight section of the road in a woodless area, and (3) in a slightly wooded area. At each location, moss samples were collected from sites situated 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 m from the road edge. The highest Zn and Cd contents in the moss were recorded 6 m from the road edge near a sharp bend (where vehicles brake sharply and accelerate suddenly). At the same location, at a distance of 2 m, the highest Pb concentration was noted, and at a distance of 4 m from the road, the highest Ni concentration was noted. The Co concentration in the moss was the highest near the woodless straight section at a distance of 2 and 12 m from the road. The concentrations of Zn, Pb, Ni, Co (only at the woodless location), and Cd (at all locations) were significantly and negatively correlated with distance from the road.

Submicron particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Polish teaching rooms: Concentrations, origin and health hazard.

The goal of the work was to investigate the concentrations of the 16 US EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) bound to submicrometer particles (particulate matter, PM1) suspended in the air of university teaching rooms and in the atmospheric air outside. Two teaching rooms were selected in two Polish cities, Gliwice, southern Poland, and Warsaw, central Poland, differing with regard to the ambient concentrations and major sources of PM and PAH. The variabilities of indoor and outdoor 24-hr concentrations of PM1-bound PAH, the ratio (I/O) of the indoor to outdoor 24-hr concentrations of PM1-bound PAH, probable sources of PAH and the level of the hazard from the mixture of the 16 PAH (ΣPAH) to humans at both sites were analyzed. In both Warsaw and Gliwice, the mean concentrations of PM1-bound ΣPAH were slightly higher in the atmospheric air than in the rooms. The indoor and outdoor concentrations of individual PAH in Gliwice were correlated, in Warsaw - they were not. Most probably, the lack of the correlations in Warsaw was due to the existence of an unidentified indoor source of gaseous PAH enriching PM1 in phenanthrene, fluorene, and pyrene. Although the ambient concentrations of PM1-bound PAH were low compared to the ones observed earlier at both sites, they were much higher than in other urbanized European areas. However, because of low mass share of heavy PAH in ΣPAH, the various indicators of the health hazard from the 16 PAH mixture were low compared to other regions.

PM Origin or Exposure Duration? Health Hazards from PM-Bound Mercury and PM-Bound PAHs among Students and Lecturers.

This study assessed inhalation exposure to particulate matter (PM1)-bound mercury (Hgp) and PM1-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) among university students. For this purpose, simultaneous indoor (I) and outdoor (O) measurements were taken from two Polish technical universities (in Gliwice and Warsaw) located in distinct areas with respect to ambient concentrations and major sources of PM. The indoor geometric mean concentrations of Hgp were found to be 1.46 pg·m-3 and 6.38 pg·m-3 in Warsaw and Gliwice, while the corresponding outdoor concentrations were slightly lower at 1.38 pg·m-3 and 3.03 pg·m-3, respectively. A distinct pattern was found with respect to PAH concentrations with estimated I/O values of 22.2 ng·m-3/22.5 ng·m-3 in Gliwice and 10.9 ng·m-3/11.12 ng·m-3 in Warsaw. Hazard quotients (HQs) as a result of exposure to Hgp for students aged 21 ranged from 3.47 × 10-5 (Warsaw) to 1.3 × 10-4 (Gliwice) in terms of reasonable maximum exposure (RME). The non-cancer human health risk value related to Hgp exposure was thus found to be below the acceptable risk level value of 1.0 given by the US EPA. Daily exposure values for lecture hall occupants, adjusted to the benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) toxicity equivalent (BaPeq), were 2.9 and 1.02 ng·m-3 for the Gliwice and Warsaw students, respectively. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) values with respect to exposure to PM1-bound PAHs during the students' time of study were 5.49 × 10-8 (Warsaw) and 1.43 × 10-7 (Gliwice). Thus, students' exposure to indoor PAHs does not lead to increased risk of lung cancer.

Health Risk Impacts of Exposure to Airborne Metals and Benzo(a)Pyrene during Episodes of High PM10 Concentrations in Poland.

OBJECTIVE: To check whether health risk impacts of exposure to airborne metals and Benzo(a) Pyrene during episodes of high PM10 concentrations lead to an increased number of lung cancer cases in Poland. METHODS: In this work, we gathered data from 2002 to 2014 concerning the ambient concentrations of PM10 and PM10-bound carcinogenic Benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P] and As, Cd, Pb, and Ni. With the use of the criterion of the exceedance in the daily PM10 mass concentration on at least 50% of all the analyzed stations, the PM10 maxima's were selected. Lung cancer occurrences in periods with and without the episodes were further compared. RESULTS: During a 12-year period, 348 large-scale smog episodes occurred in Poland. A total of 307 of these episodes occurred in the winter season, which is characterized by increased emissions from residential heating. The occurrence of episodes significantly (P < 0.05) increased the concentrations of PM10-bound carcinogenic As, Cd, Pb, Ni, and B(a)P. During these events, a significant increase in the overall health risk from those PM10-related compounds was also observed. The highest probability of lung cancer occurrences was found in cities, and the smallest probability was found in the remaining areas outside the cities and agglomerations. CONCLUSION: The link between PM pollution and cancer risk in Poland is a serious public health threat that needs further investigation.

Inhalation Exposure to PM-Bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Released from Barbecue Grills Powered by Gas, Lump Charcoal, and Charcoal Briquettes.

The present study seeks to define the possible cancer risk arising from the inhalation exposure to particle (PM)-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in barbecue emission gases and to compare the risk depending on the type of fuel used for grill powering. Three types of fuel were compared: liquid propane gas, lump charcoal, and charcoal briquettes. PM2.5 and PM2.5-100 were collected during grilling. Subsequently, 16 PAHs congeners were extracted from the PM samples and measured quantitatively using gas chromatography. The content of PM-bound PAHs was used to calculate PAHs deposition in the respiratory tract using the multiple path particle dosimetry model. Finally, a probabilistic risk model was developed to assess the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) faced by people exposed to PAHs. We found a distinctly greater PAHs formation in case of grills powered by charcoal briquettes. The summary concentration of PAHs (Σ16PAH) ranged from <0.002 µg/m3 (gas grill) to 21.52 µg/m3 (grill powered by briquettes). Daily exposure of a grill operator, while grilling meat, to PM2.5-bound PAHs, adjusted to benzo[a]pyrene toxicity equivalent (BaPeq), was 326.9, 401.6, and 0.04 ng/d for lump charcoal, charcoal briquettes, and gas powered grill, respectively. Exposure to PAHs emitted from charcoal briquettes was four orders of magnitude greater than that for gas grill. The ILCR followed a log-normal distribution, with a geometric mean of 8.38 × 10-5 for exposure to PM2.5-bound PAHs emitted from gas grills unloaded with food and as high as 8.68 × 10-1 for the grills loaded with food over charcoal briquettes. The estimated cancer risk for people who would inhale barbecue particles for 5 h a day, 40 days a year exceeds the acceptable level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We conclude that the type of heat source used for grilling influences the PM-bound PAHs formation. The greatest concentration of PAHs is generated when grilling over charcoal briquettes. Loading grills with food generates conspicuously more PAHs emissions. Traditional grilling poses cancer risk much above the acceptable limit, as opposed to much less risk involving gas powered grills.

Pulmonary Function and Incidence of Selected Respiratory Diseases Depending on the Exposure to Ambient PM10.

It is essential in pulmonary disease research to take into account traffic-related air pollutant exposure among urban inhabitants. In our study, 4985 people were examined for spirometric parameters in the presented research which was conducted in the years 2008-2012. The research group was divided into urban and rural residents. Traffic density, traffic structure and velocity, as well as concentrations of selected air pollutants (CO, NO2 and PM10) were measured at selected areas. Among people who live in the city, lower percentages of predicted values of spirometric parameters were noticed in comparison to residents of rural areas. Taking into account that the difference in the five-year mean concentration of PM10 in the considered city and rural areas was over 17 µg/m³, each increase of PM10 by 10 µg/m³ is associated with the decline in FEV1 (forced expiratory volume during the first second of expiration) by 1.68%. These findings demonstrate that traffic-related air pollutants may have a significant influence on the decline of pulmonary function and the growing rate of respiratory diseases.

Origin-Oriented Elemental Profile of Fine Ambient Particulate Matter in Central European Suburban Conditions.

Twenty-four-hour samples of fine ambient particulate matter (PM2.5; particles with aerodynamic diameters ≤2.5 µm) were collected in a suburban (quasi-rural) area in Racibórz (Poland) between 1 January 2011 and 26 December 2012. The samples were analyzed for the contents of 28 elements. Sources of PM2.5 were identified and the contribution of each source to the PM2.5 concentration was assessed using an enrichment factor (EF) analysis, a principal component analysis (PCA), and multi-linear regression analysis (MLRA). In the cold season (January-March and October-December 2011-2012), the mean ambient concentration of PM2.5 in Racibórz was 48.7 ± 39.4 µg·m(-3), which was much higher than at other suburban or rural sites in Europe. Additionally the ambient concentrations of some toxic PM2.5-bound elements were also high, i.e., the mean ambient concentrations of PM2.5-bound As, Cd, and Pb were 11.3 ± 11.5, 5.2 ± 2.5, and 34.0 ± 34.2 ng·m(-3), respectively. In the warm season (April-September 2011-2012), the PM2.5 and PM2.5-bound element concentrations in Racibórz were comparable to the concentrations noted at other suburban (or rural) sites in Europe. Our findings suggest that elemental composition and concentrations of PM2.5 in Racibórz are mainly influenced by anthropogenic emissions, i.e., the energy production based on coal and biomass combustion, traffic, and industry.

The Role of Sulforaphane in Epigenetic Mechanisms, Including Interdependence between Histone Modification and DNA Methylation.

Carcinogenesis as well as cancer progression result from genetic and epigenetic changes of the genome that leads to dysregulation of transcriptional activity of genes. Epigenetic mechanisms in cancer cells comprise (i) post-translation histone modification (i.e., deacetylation and methylation); (ii) DNA global hypomethylation; (iii) promoter hypermethylation of tumour suppressor genes and genes important for cell cycle regulation, cell differentiation and apoptosis; and (iv) posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression by noncoding microRNA. These epigenetic aberrations can be readily reversible and responsive to both synthetic agents and natural components of diet. A source of one of such diet components are cruciferous vegetables, which contain high levels of a number of glucosinolates and deliver, after enzymatic hydrolysis, sulforaphane and other bioactive isothiocyanates, that are involved in effective up-regulation of transcriptional activity of certain genes and also in restoration of active chromatin structure. Thus a consumption of cruciferous vegetables, treated as a source of isothiocyanates, seems to be potentially useful as an effective cancer preventive factor or as a source of nutrients improving efficacy of standard chemotherapies. In this review an attempt is made to elucidate the role of sulforaphane in regulation of gene promoter activity through a direct down-regulation of histone deacetylase activity and alteration of gene promoter methylation in indirect ways, but the sulforaphane influence on non-coding micro-RNA will not be a subject of this review.

The size distribution and origin of elements bound to ambient particles: a case study of a Polish urban area.

Ambient particulate matter (PM) was sampled in Zabrze (southern Poland) in the heating period of 2009. It was investigated for distribution of its mass and of the masses of its 18 component elements (S, Cl, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ge, As, Br, Sr, Cd, Sb, Ba, and Pb) among 13 PM size fractions. In the paper, the distribution modality of and the correlations between the ambient concentrations of these elements are discussed and interpreted in terms of the source apportionment of PM emissions. By weight, S, Cl, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ge, As, Br, Sr, Cd, Sb, Ba, and Pb were 10% of coarse and 9% of ultrafine particles. The collective mass of these elements was no more than 3.5 % of the mass of the particles with the aerodynamic diameter D p between 0.4 and 1.0 µm (PM0.4₋1), whose ambient mass concentration was the highest. The PM mass size distribution for the sampling period is bimodal; it has the accumulation and coarse modes. The coarse particles were probably of the mineral/soil origin (characteristic elements: Ca, Fe, Sr, and Ba), being re-suspended polluted soil or road dust (characteristic elements: Ca, Fe, Sr, Ba, S, K, Cr, Cu, Zn, Br, Sb, Pb). The maxima of the density functions (modes) of the concentration distributions with respect to particle size of PM-bound S, Cl, K, Cu, Zn, Ge, Br, Cd, Sb, and Pb within the D p interval from 0.108 to 1.6 µm (accumulation PM particles) indicate the emissions from furnaces and road traffic. The distributions of PM-bound As, Mn, Ba, and Sr concentrations have their modes within D p ≤ 0.108 µm (nucleation PM particles), indicating the emissions from high-temperature processes (industrial sources or car engines). In this work, principal component analysis (PCA) is applied separately to each of the 13 fraction-related sets of the concentrations of the 18 PM-bound elements, and further, the fractions are grouped by their origin using cluster analysis (CA) applied to the 13 fraction-related first principal components (PC1). Four distinct groups of the PM fractions are identified: (PM1.6₋2.5, PM2.5₋4.4,), (PM0.03₋0.06, PM0.108₋0.17), (PM0.06₋0.108, PM0.17₋0.26, PM0.26₋0.4, PM0.4₋0.65, PM0.65₋1, PM1₋1.6), and (PM4.4₋6.8, PM6.8₋10, PM>10). The PM sources attributed to these groups by using PCA followed by CA are roughly the same as the sources from the apportionment done by analyzing the modality of the mass size distributions.