[Inhalable airborne particulate pollution in sites characterized by dissimilar environmental conditions].

The aim of the present study is to characterise from a physico-chemical point of view the airborne particulate matter (PM10) sampled in different sites dissimilar with regard to the weather conditions, the residential density and the industrial activities. The particles were collected by an eight-stage cascade impactor, Andersen particle fractionating sampler. The analysis of the particle samples was performed by a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with a thin-window system for X-ray microanalysis by energy dispersion spectrometry. The hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) on the analytical data revealed the presence of eight different particulate types (particle clusters) in the sampling sites: C-rich particles (cluster 1); Ca and Mg carbonates (cluster 2); Ca sulphates (cluster 3); silica particles (cluster 4); silicates (cluster 5); Fe-rich particles (cluster 6); metal compounds (cluster 7); carbonaceous particles with heavy metals (cluster 8). Data obtained in this study demonstrate a significant correlation between the PM10 composition and the anthropic activities present the sampling site.