Exposure to airborne particulate matter in the ambient, indoor, and occupational environments

Exposure to airborne particulate matter results in various adverse health effects. Unlike other pollutants, such as ozone, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen, for which there is significant exposure, particulate matter exposure is much more complex because it is not a single chemical species or even a limited number of chemical species. Particulate matter includes various chemical species in particles having a wide range of diameters and shapes that have widely varying toxicities. People are exposed to particles in the ambient environment, in indoor spaces, and in the occupational environment. This article reviews the information available on the concentrations of particulate matter and its composition in these general environmental categories.