Oxidative Potential: A New Indicator of Aerosol Toxicity

Atmospheric aerosol particles are considered to be a significant health risk worldwide. Although the exact mechanisms of aerosol toxicity are still not fully understood, several studies report that the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the main mechanisms responsible for chronic and acute health problems. For this reason, oxidative potential (OP) which is defined as the ability of an aerosol to generate ROS, has been proposed as a relevant parameter for assessing aerosol toxicity. This article describes different acellular in vitro methods to determine OP and the influence of chemical composition and aerosol size on OP.