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In terms of exposome, air pollution is a life-long and constant source of exposure affecting human organs, tissues, cells, and molecules. It is considered responsible for more than 3 million premature deaths annually. Currently ongoing HUMNap project investigates possible associations between air pollutants and biomarkers of exposure and early biological effects. The evaluation of results is divided in two parts. In part 1 we examined historical data (2011-15) of cytogenetic biomarkers in Zagreb population (N=130) and corresponding air quality data. Measured air pollution parameters were largely below regulatory limits, except for B[a]P. There were no significant positive associations indicating contribution of air pollutants to increased genome damage for designated period. In part 2, in 2021- 22 we recruited a new cohort (N=60) and included biomarkers of exposure (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-, m- and p-xylene) and effect (blood comet assay, buccal and blood micronucleus assay). For air quality data, the results were in agreement with results from part 1. Similarly, tested parameters did not impact biomarkers of exposure nor the genotoxicity biomarkers. The focus of the project will now turn to other cities with different air pollution burden, and will expand the number of evaluated biomarkers in order to find possible links between air pollution and the biomarkers of effect, improve prediction models, and to serve in better risk assessment of general public. Supported by the Croatian Science Foundation (HUMNap project 1192 and the work of doctoral student K. Matković)

Air pollution remains a major issue in environmental and public health and has been recognized by leading world authorities as a risk factor associated with adverse health outcomes. In addition to cancer, exposure to air pollutants has been linked to the onset of cardiovascular and respiratory disease, as well as premature mortality. The most important pollutants to note are particulate matter (PM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOC), and toxic metals. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the possible cytogenotoxic effects of a complex mixture of PAHs and toxic metals in vitro in a range of concentrations of air pollutants from 0.5 to 50 cm3/mL. The mixture was prepared based on the outdoor air pollution monitoring data in Zagreb (Croatia) collected during our human biomonitoring study in the colder period of the year 2021 representing the translation of real-scenario exposure to in vitro. Cytogenotoxicity was evaluated on human peripheral blood cells employing the cell viability assay and the alkaline comet assay intended for the assessment of primary DNA damage to better understand the mechanism of action of the tested mixture. Based on the obtained results, we did not observe any impact of the complex mixture on cell viability that remained similar compared to the non-treated cells. As for the DNA damaging effect, only the highest tested concertation (50 cm3/mL) was able to increase primary strand breaks as measured by the % tail DNA as the comet assay descriptor. Our results indicate the necessity of testing complex mixtures that may pose a risk to cell and genome integrity in a complex environment, especially at low environmentally relevant concentrations. Since oxidative stress and inflammation are suspected mechanisms of action of air pollution, further research will include various biomarkers of oxidative stress as well as other biomarkers of genomic instability in order to avoid any possible adverse effects on the environment and human health.

Atmospheric bulk and wet deposition samples were collected simultaneously at the background coastal site in the Eastern Middle Adriatic region in order to assess the impact of major ions (Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, Na+, K+, NH4+, Mg2+, Ca2+) on deposition acidity and distinguish the main sources. Higher ion levels were observed during the cold period, especially for Cl−, Na+, Mg2+ and K+. Dust intrusion caused significant increases in levels of Ca2+, Mg2+ and K+, while open-fire events increased the levels of K+. Deposition acidity showed seasonal differences as well as the influence of dust intrusion. Low ionic balance ratios indicated acidic deposition properties and the presence of organic anions. The highest neutralization ability was found for Ca2+, Na+ and NH4+. Several natural (marine, crustal) and anthropogenic sources were determined, as well as the formation of secondary aerosols. Wet deposition was characterized by higher contribution of sea salt fraction compared to bulk deposition and lower contribution of crustal fraction.

Increased road traffic and industrial and energy production contribute to urban air pollution worldwide. Consequently, cities are hotspots for air pollution, representing a global health threat, resulting in millions of premature deaths annually. The HUMNap project aims to provide scientifically based data on how air pollution can affect genomic instability and our health by determining possible associations between air pollutants and biomarkers of exposure and early biological effects. In the first part of the project, we retrospectively evaluated genomic instability using the comet and micronucleus assays on blood cells in a sample (N=130) of the general population living in Zagreb (Croatia) and associated these results with air pollution levels in the period from 2011 to 2015. We did not observe a significant positive association between parameters tested and measured air pollution parameters except for benzo(a)pyrene (B[a]P), which showed a significant negative association. Our results show that the measured air pollution parameters were largely below regulatory limits, except for B[a]P. In the prospective part of the study, we investigated possible effects of air pollution and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-, m- and p-xylene) exposure on genomic instability using the comet and micronucleus assays on blood in addition to buccal cells in a sample (N = 60) of the general population living in Zagreb (Croatia) during colder and warmer periods in 2021-2022. All measured outdoor air pollution parameters agreed with previously reported values and were below the regulatory limit, except for PM10 particles and B[a]P bound to PM10, which exceeded regulatory limit levels. Again, we did not observe the noteworthy impact of air pollution on tested parameters. Since air pollution is identified as a major health threat, further research investigating the effect of air pollution on genome integrity and human health is warranted. It will prioritize other cities where exposure to different air pollutants is expected. Supported by the Croatian Science Foundation (HUMNap)

The origin of organic compounds in the air can be various and therefore an experimental and statistical analysis of particulate matter is crucial for their identification. This work focuses on organic compounds such as carbohydrates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The sources of carbohydrates can be related to anthropogenic activities, essentially biomass burning, wood combustion, forest fires, and agricultural waste burning, but they are also released during primary biological activities of fungal spores, microorganisms, bacteria, and pollen. Along with pyrogenic sources, a large contributor to PAH emissions is the widespread petrogenic sources from households and traffic due to incomplete petroleum combustion. To distinguish between different sources of PAHs and carbohydrates in particulate matter, it is important to monitor their levels during a wider period when natural and anthropogenic activity trends are different. In this study, PM10 particulate matter samples (particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 10 µm) were collected seasonally at a background measuring station located at Plitvice Lakes. Samples were analyzed by two chromatographic techniques ; high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection and high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. The results were statistically compared using Spearman correlation, factor analysis, and principal component analysis. Significant seasonal variations of organic compound levels and particulate matter levels were observed. Generally, the most pronounced carbohydrates in the particulate matter were levoglucosan, arabitol, mannitol, and glucose. The concentrations of PAHs were two orders of magnitude smaller compared to carbohydrates values but were present in all the samples. The maximum concentrations were detected in the winter season for levoglucosan and benzo(b)fluoranthene. The Spearman correlation revealed a strong correlation (ρ > 0.6) between PAHs and carbohydrates related to biomass burning in winter and autumn, while in the warmer seasons, their correlations differ. Factor analysis and principal component analysis suggested at least three different sources of PAHs and carbohydrates in particulate matter

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are recognized as one of the most serious contaminants due to their mutagenic and carcinogenic health effects. They originate from a variety of sources such as forest and peat fires, volcano eruptions, coal combustion and vehicle exhaust emissions. There are several routes of PAH exposure, including water, food and tobacco smoke, but ambient air represents one of the major sources of PAH intake. In this study, PM10 particle samples (particulate matter with a diameter

Air pollution represents a major environmental risk to health, facilitating development of many diseases. The effects of air pollution exposure are difficult to determine because the different chemical species in it are not easily definable or measurable, and they can induce additive, synergistic or antagonistic effects. The comet assay is a method successfully used in monitoring air pollution genotoxicity in exposed populations. Hence, we aimed to investigate possible effects of air pollution on DNA integrity using the alkaline comet assay in human peripheral blood cells. The study was conducted during the colder period of the year 2021 and involved 60 healthy subjects (34 females and 26 males), aged 36.4±9.6 years and BMI

Exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause a variety of adverse health outcomes, and is associated with millions of premature deaths annually. The main sources of air pollution in urban areas are traffic, domestic heating and emissions from manufacturing plants. The air in urban areas is a very complex and variable mixture of numerous contaminants, containing many mutagenic pollutants whose mechanism of action is not fully known. Additionally, the emission of compounds such as BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and isomeric xylenes) is increasing, mainly due to intensive industrialization and urbanization. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between air pollutants and biomarkers of exposure and early biological effects, using the alkaline comet and micronucleus assays on peripheral blood cells. The research was conducted during the cold season of 2021, as it was found that the concentration of air pollutants is higher in this period due to the heating season. Our research included 60 healthy volunteers aged 18–55 with a BMI

Kvaliteta zraka prati se u Zagrebu kontinuirano od šezdesetih godina prošlog stoljeća. U okviru lokalne mjerne mreţe grada Zagreba mjerenja se trenutno provode na šest lokacija (Ksaverska cesta, ĐorĊićeva ulica, Prilaz baruna Filipovića, Susedgrad, Siget, Pešĉenica). Dosadašnja mjerenja pokazala su da je zrak, ovisno o karakteru lokacije, oneĉišćen lebdećim ĉesticama PM10, PM2, 5, benzo(a)pirenom (BaP), dušikovim dioksidom (NO2) te povremeno ozonom (O3). Pandemija COVID- 19, koja je zapoĉela poĉetkom 2020. godine, uzrokovala je do sada neviĊene promjene u aktivnostima i navikama ljudi. Mjere djelomiĉnog ili potpunog zatvaranja (engl. lockdown) koje su kroz odreĊena razdoblja primijenile brojne zemlje u svrhu suzbijanja širenja bolesti, odrazile su se i na kvalitetu zraka. U Zagrebu stroge mjere obustave rada škola, fakulteta i vrtića kao i javnog prijevoza te svih djelatnosti, osim najnuţnijih, trajale su od sredine oţujka do sredine svibnja 2020. godine. U ovom istraţivanju prouĉavani su podaci o kvaliteti zraka s mjernih postaja lokalne mjerne mreţe grada Zagreba u razdoblju 2017. – 2020. UsporeĊene su koncentracije izmjerene tijekom zatvaranja zbog COVID-19 s prosjekom za isto razdoblje tijekom 2017., 2018. i 2019. godine. Masene koncentracije NO2 bile su statistiĉki znaĉajno niţe na svim mjernim postajama tijekom razdoblja zatvaranja, a najveće razlike utvrĊene su na lokacijama izloţenim prometu. Suprotno tome, koncentracije ozona su bile statistiĉki znaĉajno više na svim mjernim postajama. Razine lebdećih ĉestica PM10 bile su niţe na svim postajama, ali je razlika bila statistiĉki znaĉajna jedino na mjernim postajama Pešĉenica, Siget i Ĉrnomerec (promet, industrija) dok se koncentracije frakcije lebdećih ĉestica PM2.5 nisu statistiĉki znaĉajno razlikovale. Koncentracije BaP u PM10 bile su povišene tijekom razdoblja zatvaranja, ali se ta razlika nije pokazala statistiĉki znaĉajnom. Masene koncentracije metala bile su niske te su varirale ovisno o karakteru mjerne postaje i aktivnostima na lokaciji. Statistiĉki znaĉajno niţe masene koncentracija Cu, Zn i Fe (metala povezanih s trošenjem koĉnica i automobilskih guma) na prometnim mjernim postajama ĐorĊićeva ulica i Siget tijekom perioda strogog zatvaranja u usporedbi s trogodišnjim prosjekom za isto razdoblje mogu se povezati s manjim prometom tijekom strogog zatvaranja. Na urbano- industrijskoj mjernoj postaji Susedgrad masene koncentracije metala bile su u rasponima koncentracija iz ranijih godina, što upućuje da su se osnovne aktivnosti na toj lokaciji uglavnom provodile jednakim intenzitetom. Zatvaranje zbog pandemije COVID-19 pokazalo je da su mjere drastiĉnog smanjenja mobilnosti stanovništva imale kratkotrajni utjecaj na kvalitetu zraka i to samo na razine nekih oneĉišćujućih tvari te ne uvijek u smjeru smanjivanja koncentracija. Uĉinak je u pravilu bio izraţeniji na mjernim postajama opterećenim prometom u odnosu na lokacije gdje su znaĉajnije zastupljeni i drugi izvori (kućna loţišta, resuspenzija s tla, industrija).

Vodeće svjetske organizacije poput Europske agencije za okoliš, Svjetske zdravstvene organizacije, i Međunarodne agencije za istraživanje raka ističu onečišćenje zraka kao vodeću globalnu zdravstvenu prijetnju odgovornu za milijune smrtnih slučajeva godišnje. Zrak u urbanim sredinama kompleksna je i promjenjiva mješavina raznih čestica i kemijskih spojeva čiji mehanizam djelovanja nije u potpunosti poznat, iako se sumnja na poticanje oksidacijskog stresa i upalnih procesa. Izloženost vanjskom onečišćenju zraka povezana je sa zdravstvenim učincima, osobito u urbanim područjima, zbog viših koncentracija onečišćujućih tvari uzrokovanih urbanom aglomeracijom, prometom i industrijskim aktivnostima. Dodatno, emisija spojeva poput BTEX- a (benzen, toluen, etilbenzen i izomeri ksilena) postaje veća, uglavnom zbog intenzivne industrijalizacije i urbanizacije. Biomonitoring ljudi ključan je u određivanju mogu li i u kojoj mjeri spojevi iz okoliša utjecati na zdravlje ljudi. Stoga smo željeli istražiti povezanost između razina onečišćujućih tvari iz zraka te biomarkera izloženosti i ranih bioloških učinaka, koristeći alkalni komet i mikronukleus test za procjenu genomskih oštećenja na ljudskim bukalnim stanicama i stanicama periferne krvi. Prvi dio istraživanja proveden je tijekom hladnijeg razdoblja 2021. godine, a drugi dio tijekom toplijeg razdoblja 2022. godine. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 60 zdravih dobrovoljaca u dobi 18 – 55 godina s BMI

Policiklički aromatski ugljikovodici (PAU) su vrlo rasprostranjeni u okolišu, a mogu nastati prirodnim putem ili antropogenim utjecajem. Emisija PAU iz prirodnih izvora znatno je niža od one koju uzrokuje ljudska djelatnost, pri čemu koncentracija PAU ovisi o načinu proizvodnje energije, gustoći prometa, industrijskoj emisiji, grijanju u kućanstvima i dr. Na pozadinskoj mjernoj postaji udaljenoj nekoliko kilometara od izravnog utjecaja lokalnih izvora onečišćenja unutar najstarijeg nacionalnog parka u Hrvatskoj, NP Plitvička jezera provedeno je uzorkovanje PM10 frakcije lebdećih čestica sakupljanjem 24-satnih uzoraka neprekidno tijekom 30 dana u svakom godišnjem dobu u 2021. godini. Koncentracije 11 mjerenih PAU (fluoranten (Flu), piren (Pir), benzo(a)antracen (BaA), krizen (Kri), benzo(j)fluoranten (BjF), benzo(b)fluoranten (BbF), benzo(k)fluoranten (BkF), benzo(a)piren (BaP), dibenzo(a, h)antracen (DahA), benzo(ghi)perilen (BghiP) i indeno(1, 2, 3‐cd)piren (IP)) određene su kromatografijom visoke djelotvornosti (HPLC) s fluorescentnim detektorom. Masene koncentracije PAU bile su niske za sve mjerene PAU i kretale su se u rasponu 0, 008 ng m-3 za DahA do 0, 283 ng m-3 za BbF, te pokazuju sezonsku ovisnost s koncentracijama tri do dvanaest puta višim u zimi nego ljeti.

Most epidemiological studies regarding air quality and human health effects are performed on fine and coarse particles, as they are regulated by air quality directives. In recent years, ultrafine par-ticles have been recognized as crucial because of their ability to reach the most distal lung regions and greatly impact the cardiovascular system. To get a better understanding of the health effects, it is important to determine the ultrafine particle composition in as much detail as possible since every compound has different chemical and physical properties.This study focused on carbohydrates that represent water- soluble organic compounds. The pre-sence of carbohydrates in the particulate matter can be caused by various sources, of which the most common is biomass combustion. Anhydrosugars, specifically levoglucosan, mannosan, and galactosan, which are formed by thermal cellulose and hemicellulose breakdown, are considered specific and general tracers for biomass burning emissions. Other carbohydrate sources are plants, spores, and bacteria, whose activity forms sugar alcohols and primary sugars.The present study aims to investigate levels of carbohydrates in PM1 samples collected during win-tertime at an urban background station. Twelve carbohydrates were examined and the results were compared with concentrations obtained from PM10 particulate matter analysis. Results showed that anhydrosugars are the most abundant, followed by sugar alcohols and sugars, respectively. Levoglucosan was the most dominant compound in both fractions and it was found that more than 90% of levoglucosan in the PM10 fraction is bound to the PM1 fraction. Because of the mutual pollution source, the results were compared with concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hy-drocarbons in the PM1 and PM10 fractions. Spearman correlation showed a very strong correlation (r > 0.82) in PM1 fraction between levoglucosan, mannosan, galactosan, ΣPAH, benzo[a]pyrene, arabitol, and erythritol which implies a common origin of these compounds. Factor analysis revea-led two main pollution sources in both of the fractions.

Atmospheric aerosols have well documented detrimental effects on human health, ecosystems and air quality and are the key uncertainty in assessing the anthropogenic influence on climate change. Particularly during the cold weather season, urban centers in countries of the Western Balkans region such as Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) are experiencing some of the globally poorest air quality due to the extensive use of solid fuels and old vehicle fleet. The city of Sarajevo is the capital of BiH and is situated in Southeastern Europe within a plain surrounded by mountains. In the winter months (domestic heating season), topography and meteorology cause the pollutants to be trapped within the city plain. Recent analysis with the US EPA BenMAP model applied to BiH found that an annual decrease of 50% in fine aerosol would save 4760+ lives and costs of $2.3B annually (Žero et al., 2022). Countries of the Western Balkans lack state‐of‐ the‐ art atmospheric sciences research despite high levels of ambient pollution and position within the EU borders, which makes it imperative to understand the emission sources, processing and the adverse health effects of their atmospheric aerosol pollution. This presentation will highlight the results of the SAFICA 2018 project, the first Sarajevo, BiH project aiming to yield crucial, not previously available information about aerosol emission sources and atmospheric transformations through combination of online field (black carbon and particle number and size distribution) and offline laboratory (physicochemical characterization of daily PM10 filter samples) measurements. Laboratory analyses of PM10 samples determined aerosols’ bulk chemical composition, selected elements (Huremović et al., 2020 ; Žero et al., 2022) and molecular species (Pehnec et al., 2020). Aerosol chemical composition determined by aerosol mass spectrometry was further analyzed by Positive Matrix Factorization to separate organic aerosol (OA) into subtypes characteristic for their sources and atmospheric processes. Aerosol oxidative potential (OP) was also determined to evaluate the ability of SAFICA aerosols to generate reactive oxygen species. Main SAFICA results show that ~3/4 of aerosol mass is carbonaceous (OA + black carbon) and ~2/3 of total carbon (TC) mass is from non‐fossil sources (Figure 1). Aerosol has high loadings of black carbon and toxic species, indicating strong and diverse combustion sources and likely a major public health danger. More work is needed to estimate the contributions of different aerosol sources and species to total aerosol OP. Finally, this presentation will show how SAFICA knowledge gaps will be overcome in a future project, planned to take place during 2022‐2023, entitled Sarajevo Aerosol Experiment: Composition, Sources and Health Effects of Atmospheric Aerosol (SAAERO). We thank Federal Hydrometeorological Institute of BiH, Magee Scientific/Aerosol and TSI for support. We acknowledge the contribution of the COST Action CA16109 COLOSSAL and SEE Change Net. KDž and ASHP acknowledge the grant by the Swiss NSF (Scientific Exchanges IZSEZ0_189495), KDž, GM and ASHP European Commission funding of SAAERO project (EU H2020 MSCA-IF 2020 grant # 101028909), GM the Slovenian Science foundation program P1-0385, and SF by the Croatian Science Foundation (BiREADI IP- 2018-01-3105).

Climate changes alter the atmospheric input of aerosol to the ocean, which in turn influence ocean productivity and carbon sequestration. To gain insight into the effects of atmospheric deposition (AD) on the ocean surface, it is necessary to consider the interfacial processes within the sea surface microlayer (SML), which governs all exchange processes between the ocean and the atmosphere. There are only a limited number of studies that distinguish between SML and the underlying water (ULW) when evaluating sea surface feedbacks to AD. The responses of neuston and plankton communities and changes in organic matter (OM) in SML relative to the ULW to additions of aerosol of anthropogenic and BB origin were studied during a 4-day mesocosm experiments in August 2020 at the central Adriatic area within BiREADI CSF IP-2018- 01-3105 and DAAD INSIST project. We demonstrate that aerosol additions differently affect SML and ULW by changing community structure and OM composition.

Policiklički aromatski ugljikovodici (PAU) predstavljaju skupinu organskih spojeva koji sadrže dva ili više vezana benzenska prstena. Glavni izvor nastajanja u atmosferi predstavlja nepotpuno izgaranje fosilnih goriva i biomase te se mogu svrstati u skupinu primarnih zagađivača. Zbog svojih fizikalnih i kemijskih svojstava vežu se na već formirane lebdeće čestice u atmosferi te na taj način kruže u okolišu i dolaze u direktan doticaj s čovjekom. Dosadašnja istraživanja ukazuju na kompleksnost PAU-a, njihovu reaktivnost i tendenciju formiranja sekundarnih organskih zagađivala [1, 2]. Upravo iz tih razloga svrstavaju se u spojeve opasne za okoliš i ljudsko zdravlje. Europskom direktivom propisana je ciljna vrijednost za samo jedan PAU u lebdećim česticama aerodinamičkog promjera manjeg od 10 μm (PM10) - benzo(a)pirena, na temelju kojeg se može provesti kategorizacija kvalitete okolnog zraka [3].Znanstvenim dostignućima želja je ukazati na štetnost i ostalih PAU, posebice adsorbiranih na lebdeće čestice aerodinamičkog promjera manjeg od 2, 5 μm (PM2, 5) i 1 μm (PM1) koje imaju veći utjecaj na respiratorni i kardiovaskularni sustav u ljudi. Tijekom dvogodišnjeg perioda (2020. i 2021. godina) u dva srednjoeuropska grada, Ljubljana i Zagreb, praćena je masena koncentracija 11 PAU-a u PM10, PM2, 5 i PM1 frakcijama lebdećih čestica kako bi se ispitala njihova sezonska ovisnost. Dnevni uzorci sakupljani su na mjernim postajama opterećenim zagađenjima iz prometa po dva tjedna u svakom godišnjem dobu. Osim kvantitativnog podataka na različitim česticama, promatran je sezonski trend (zima-jesen-ljeto). Budući da su obje lokacije glavna središta europskih država, prisutnost PAU od strane prometa je istaknuta. Također je uočena porast u koncentraciji PAU tijekom zimskog perioda koja se može prepisati izgaranjem biomase, koje je nažalost još uvijek prisutno na promatranim područjima. Ovakvim studijama želja je dobiti jasnu sliku o trendu PAU tijekom godine, te na temelju dobivenih podataka odrediti PAU prekursore za određene izvore zagađenja.

Posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća policiklički aromatski ugljikovodici (PAU) od velikog su znanstvenog interesa jer su mutageni i karcinogeni, a također mogu uzrokovati akutne zdravstvene učinke. Od posebnog su zdravstvenog značaja PAU-i u zraku adsorbirani na lebdeće čestice aerodinamičkog promjera manjeg od 1 μm (PM1), zbog mogućnosti ulaska ovih spojeva u donje dišne puteve, alveole i krvotok. Osim toga, PM1 frakcija lebdećih čestica može ostati u atmosferi danima ili tjednima i stoga biti podložna dalekosežnom prekograničnom transportu u zraku. Prosisavanjem ≈55 m3 zraka kroz filtar od kvarcnih vlakana promjera 47 mm sakupljeni su 24-satni uzorci PM1 frakcije lebdećih čestica. Uzorkovanje je provedeno u periodu od 1. siječnja 2018. do 31. prosinca 2020. godine na urbanoj pozadinskoj mjernoj postaji u Zagrebu. Masene koncentracije PM1 frakcije lebdećih čestica određene su gravimetrijski. Uzorci su analizirani na tekućinskom kromatografu visoke djelotvornosti s fluorescentnim detektorom promjenjivih valnih duljina ekscitacije i emisije kako bi se odredila prisutnost 11 policikličkih aromatskih ugljikovodika (PAU) u PM1 frakciji lebdećih čestica i to fluorantena (Flu), pirena (Pir), benzo(a)antracena (BaA), krizena (Kri), benzo(j)fluorantena (BjF), benzo(b)fluorantena (BbF), benzo(k)fluorantena (BkF), benzo(a)pirena (BaP), dibenzo(a, h)antracena (DahA), benzo(ghi)perilena (BghiP) i indeno(1, 2, 3-cd)pirena (IP). U promatrom periodu mjerenja medijan masene koncentracije PM1 frakcije lebdećih čestica iznosio je 9, 7 μg/m3, a zbroj 11 analiziranih PAU- a u PM1 frakciji lebdećih čestica (Σ11PAU) 2, 45 ng/m3. Ukoliko dobivene rezultate mjerenja usporedimo između sezone grijanja (siječanj-ožujak i rujan-prosinac) i sezone bez grijanja (travanj-kolovoz), uočavamo statistički značajnu (p

Pandemija COVID-19, koja je započela početkom 2020. godine, uzrokovala je brojne promjene u gospodarskim aktivnostima, prometu i navikama ljudi. Mjere suzbijanja širenja bolesti koje su primijenile brojne zemlje uključivale su i djelomično ili potpuno zatvaranje (engl. lockdown) kroz određena razdoblja intenzivnog širenja bolesti. Provođenje ovih mjera odrazilo se i na kvalitetu zraka diljem svijeta. U prvom valu bolesti, u zimu i proljeće 2020. godine, satelitske snimke pokazale su izraziti pad razina i emisija onečišćujućih tvari u zrak u brojnim industrijskim područjima i prometnim središtima. U Hrvatskoj, prvi slučaj zaraze novim koronavirusom evidentiran je 25. 2. 2020., a stroge mjere obustave rada škola, fakulteta i vrtića te zatim javnog prijevoza i svih djelatnosti osim najnužnijih, u gradu Zagrebu trajale su od sredine ožujka do sredine svibnja 2020. godine. U ovom istraživanju proučavani su podaci o kvaliteti zraka s mjernih postaja lokalne mjerne mreže grada Zagreba (Ksaverska cesta, Đorđićeva ulica, Prilaz baruna Filipovića, Peščenica, Siget, Susedgrad) u razdoblju od 30. 3. 2020. do 11. 5. 2020. te su uspoređeni s podacima za isto razdoblje tijekom 2017., 2018. i 2019. godine. Promatrane su sljedeće onečišćujuće tvari: dušikov dioksid (NO2), ozon (O3), frakcije lebdećih čestica PM10 i PM2, 5 te benzo(a)piren (BaP) u PM10. Srednje vrijednosti koncentracija NO2 bile su, ovisno o karakteru mjerne postaje, 24 % - 49 % niže tijekom perioda strogog zatvaranja u odnosu na trogodišnji prosjek (2017. - 2019.) za isto razdoblje, a najveći pad opažen je na mjernim postajama najviše opterećenim prometom. Suprotno tome, koncentracije ozona statistički su značajno porasle na svim lokacijama (između 14 % i 29 %), a u pravilu najveći porast koncentracija ozona opažen je na postajama na kojima je bio izraženiji pad koncentracija dušikovog dioksida. Masene koncentracije lebdećih čestica PM10 bile su statistički značajno niže tijekom razdoblja zatvaranja na mjernim postajama Peščenica, Siget i Črnomerec, dok su na ostalim postajama bile u rasponima koncentracija iz ranijih godina. Razine PM2, 5 prate se na tri lokacije u Zagrebu te se nisu statistički značajno razlikovale u odnosu na ranije godine. Koncentracije BaP u PM10, koje se prate na mjernim postajama Ksaverska cesta i Siget bile su nešto više u 2020. godini u odnosu na ranija razdoblja, ali se ta razlika nije pokazala statistički značajna. Rezultati ovog istraživanja upućuju da je smanjenje aktivnosti, a naročito prometa, tijekom razdoblja strogog zatvaranja dovelo do smanjenja koncentracija NO2 i djelomično PM10 na mjernim postajama opterećenim prometom, no istovremeno je dovelo do porasta razina ozona. Koncentracije BaP u PM10 i PM2, 5, koji značajnom dijelom potječu i iz drugih izvora poput npr. ložišta, nisu se u Zagrebu značajnije smanjile za vrijeme perioda zatvaranja.

Policiklički aromatski ugljikovodici (PAU) jedni su od najpoznatijih onečišćivača okoliša koji mogu imati štetan učinak na zdravlje ljudi. Prethodna istraživanja pokazala su da neki PAU-i imaju visok kancerogeni i mutageni potencijal. U dosadašnjim istraživanjima kod priprave uzoraka iz okoliša upotrebljavale su se razne metode ekstrakcije PAU-a. Metode ekstrakcije moraju biti učinkovite, praktične, pouzdane i postojane. U novijim istraživanjima još uvijek je zastupljena Soxhlet ekstrakcija zbog svoje visoke učinkovitosti, no sve više se upotrebljavaju i druge metode, poput ultrazvučne ekstrakcije (UZV), ekstrakcije mikrovalovima te u novije vrijeme i ubrzane ekstrakcije otapalom (ASE). ASE pri ekstrakciji PAU-a uglavnom ima istu učinkovitost kao i Soxhlet ekstrakcija, ali se pri tome koristi vrlo mali volumen otapala. Međutim, sam uređaj zahtjeva prilično visoka ulaganja pri nabavi i održavanju, a problem može predstavljati i sastavljanje te rastavljanje ćelija za ekstrakciju uzoraka u svakodnevnom radu. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je usporediti učinkovitost ultrazvučne ekstrakcije i ubrzane ekstrakcije otapalom pri analizi PAU-a iz zraka i standardnog referentnog materijala (Urban Dust, NIST 1649b). Rezultati pokazuju vrlo dobru korelaciju za oba postupka priprave (R2 = 0, 98 za UZV ekstrakciju i R2 = 0, 99 za ASE ekstrakciju). Ispitana je i učinkovitost ekstrakcije PAU-a iz realnih uzoraka. Uzorci lebdećih čestica prikupljeni su tijekom 20 dana u stambenom, urbanom području. 24-satni uzorci frakcije lebdećih čestica PM10 sakupljani su na kvarcnim filtrima pomoću automatskih uzorkivača malih volumena prosisanog zraka (LVS3, Sven Leckel). Kvarcni filtar prerezan je na dva dijela. Jedan dio korišten je za ekstrakciju ASE-om, a drugi za ekstrakciju UZV-om. Analiza uzoraka provedena je tekućinskom kromatografijom visoke djelotvornosti uz fluorescentni detektor promjenjivih valnih duljina ekscitacije i emisije. Kod ekstrakcije standardnog referentnog materijala ASE je imala bolju učinkovitost za PAU-ove s četiri aromatska prstena (fluoranten, piren, benzo(a)antracen, krizen), koji lakše isparavaju, u odnosu na PAU-e s većim brojem prstenova. Kod priprave PAU-a iz uzoraka PM10 sakupljenih na filtre, ASE je pokazala bolju učinkovitost za sve PAU-ove, a naročito za fluoranten i piren. Učinkovitost ASE ekstrakcije PAU za NIST 1649b bila je veća od 96 %, dok je za UZV ekstrakciju učinkovitost bila veća od 82 %. Ovo istraživanje pokazalo je da su oba postupka ekstrakcije PAU iz lebdećih čestica prikladna za pripravu uzoraka te da ASE u odnosu na UZV pokazuje nešto bolju učinkovitost ekstrakcije, naročito kod PAU s manjim brojem aromatskih prstenova.

Vodeće svjetske organizacije poput Europske agencije za okoliš, Svjetske zdravstvene organizacije, Međunarodne agencije za istraživanje raka i Globalnog opterećenja bolestima istakle su onečišćenje zraka kao vodeću globalnu zdravstvenu prijetnju odgovornu za 3 – 7 milijuna smrtnih slučajeva godišnje. Zrak u urbanim sredinama kompleksna je i promjenjiva mješavina raznih kemijskih spojeva čiji mehanizam djelovanja nije u potpunosti poznat, iako se sumnja na poticanje oksidacijskog stresa i upalnih procesa.Biomonitoring ljudi ključan je alat u određivanju mogu li i u kojoj mjeri okolišni spojevi utjecati na ljudsku populaciju. Biomonitoring ljudi izvor je važnih informacija o okolišnoj izloženosti te pomaže u prepoznavanju potencijalnih zdravstvenih rizika. Ostali važni aspekti projekta HUMNap uključuju razvoj kompetencija mladih znanstvenika u području toksikologije, podizanje svijesti o onečišćenju zraka, umrežavanje te daljnji razvoj strategija za praćenje onečišćenja zraka. Naposljetku, HUMNap će osigurati nove podatke potrebne za znanstveno utemeljenu procjenu rizika ljudske populacije izložene zagađenju zraka. U sljedećim koracima vršit će se detaljna procjena različitih biomarkera izloženosti i ranih učinaka (genomska nestabilnost i oksidacijski stres) u ljudskoj populaciji koja živi na odabranim lokacijama. HUMNap će promicati razmjenu najnovijih tehnika i istraživačkih pristupa kako bi se razvila procjena rizika izloženosti ljudi onečišćivalima iz zraka. Partneri u HUMNap projektu su: 1. Institut za medicinska istraživanja i medicinu rada, 2. Nastavni zavod za javno zdravstvo Brodsko- posavske županije, 3. Opća županijska bolnica Vinkovci, 4. Grad Vinkovci, 5. Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Biokemijski fakultet, 6. Unisanté Lausanni, Švicarska (Sveučilišni centar za opću medicinu i javno zdravstvo u Lausanni) i 7. Hrvatska zaklada za znanost. Projekt HUMANap podržala je Hrvatska zaklada za znanost (#1192 - HUMNap). Više o projektu na: www.imi.hr/hr/?s=HUMNap, www.humnap.imi.hr/ Cilj projekta HUMNap jest odrediti povezanost između onečišćivala iz zraka te biomarkera izloženosti i ranih bioloških učinaka. Projekt je započeo s istraživanjima na geografskim lokacijama s različitim razinama i podrijetlom onečišćenja zraka te mjerenjima brojnih onečišćivala iz zraka. Očekivani rezultati su: 1. razmjena najsuvremenijih metoda i pristupa u istraživanju kako bi se provela procjena rizika izloženosti ljudi onečišćivalima iz zraka 2. spoznati kako onečišćivala iz zraku utječu na rane molekularne događaje važne za razvoj bolesti u različitim ljudskim stanicama 3. integracija istraživača u međunarodni istraživački prostor, posebno u području biomarkera i biomonitoringa ljudi 4. naobrazba doktoranda i mladih istraživača tijekom projekta. U HUMNap znanstvenom istraživanju sudjeluju tri kontinentalna grada Republike Hrvatske i to: Zagreb, Slavonski Brod i Vinkovci.

Exposure to outdoor air pollution is related to severe health effects, especially in urban areas, due to higher concentrations of pollutants caused by urban agglomeration, traffic, and industrial activities. Additionally, the emission of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) compounds becomes higher, mainly due to intensive industrialization and urbanization. Hence, we aimed to investigate possible effects of air pollution and BTEX exposure on DNA damage detected by the alkaline comet assay and micronucleus assay on human buccal and peripheral blood cells. The first part of the study was conducted during the colder period of the year 2021 and the follow up part during the warmer period of the year 2022. It involved 60 healthy volunteers aged 18-55 years with BMI

Outdoor air pollution in urban and rural areas causes millions of premature deaths worldwide. Cities are more exposed to higher concentrations of pollutants because of the urban agglomeration, traffic, and industrial activities. Additionally, the emission of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) compounds becomes higher, mainly due to intensive industrialization and urbanization. Hence, we aimed to investigate possible effects of air pollution and BTEX exposure on DNA damage detected by the alkaline comet assay in human peripheral blood cells. The study was conducted during the colder period of the year 2021 and involved 60 healthy subjects (34 females and 26 males), aged 36.4±9.6 years and BMI

Street traffic has become one of the main air pollution sources in urbanized regions all over the world. Previous studies have shown that combustion of various fuels in metropolitan areas produces airborne particulate matter on which different compounds are absorbed. Carbonaceous aerosol is an important constituent of fine particles. Carbonaceous aerosol can be classified into organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC). OC is a complex mixture of hundreds of organic compounds that are produced directly or by atmospheric chemical processes. Within OC, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are dominant carcinogenic components of atmospheric pollution.The aim of this study was to determine the levels of eleven polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM1 fraction of particle matter.Measurements were carried out from January to December 2019 at a city street location surroun-ded by tall buildings. This location has a “canyon” effect where pollutants strongly accumulate in a small area due to weak ventilation. 24-hour samples of the PM1 particle fraction were collected on quartz filters from about 55 m3 air using a low-volume sampler. The analysis was performed using a high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector.The average mass concentration of total PAHs was 2.554 ng m-3, 0.812 ng m-3, 8.167 ng m-3 and 20.381 ng m-3 for spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. The total concentrations of the eleven PAHs ranged from 0.069 ng m-3 to 66.296 ng m-3, with an average annual value of 8.198 ng m-3. Based on the obtained mass concentrations of PAHs their contribution

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds primarily associated with fine particles that originate mainly from incomplete combustion of organic materials. PAHs are highly investigated because of their mutagenic and carcinogenic potential. One of the most widely investigated PAHs is benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) which has been classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) by International agency for research on cancer. The Regulation on levels of pollutants in the air (Official Gazette 117/2012) sets a target value of 1 ng/m3 for annual average BaP concentration in PM10 particle fraction. The aim of this study was to determine mass concentrations of ten PAHs of environmental interest in order to assess the contribution of BaP in total PAHs and to examine their five-year period trends. Twenty-four-hour samples of PM10 particle fraction were collected in the northern, residential part of Zagreb from approximately 55 m3 of ambient air on quartz filters from 2016 to 2020. The following PAHs were analyzed by liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector and programmed changes in excitation and emission wavelengths: fluoranthene (Flu), pyrene (Pyr), benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), chrysene (Kri), benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF), benzo(k)fluoranthene (BkF), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), dibenzo(a, h)anthracene (DahA), benzo(ghi)perylene (BghiP), and indeno(1, 2, 3- cd)pyrene (IP). The average sum of ten measured PAHs ranged between 6.570 ng/m3 (in 2019) and 14.832 ng/m3 (in 2016) showing significantly decreasing trend. The same decresing trend was observed for all measured PAHs, except for DahA. However, the values of all ten studied PAHs in 2020 were higher compared to 2019. The average annual BaP values ranged between 0.950 ng/m3 (in 2019) and 1.347 ng/m3 (in 2016). The average BaP contribution in the sum of PAHs showed an increasing trend from 9.9 % in 2016 to 14.4 % in 2020, contrary to BaP mass concentrations. The same increasing trend was also observed for BaA, BbF, BkF and IP contributions in the total sum of PAHs. Only Flu contribution (from 9.8 % to 4.8 %) and Pir contribution (from 10.7 % to 4.8 %) displayed significantly decreasing trend during the investigated five-year period.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) bound to airborne particulate matter are a group of organic compounds of significant interest with regard to human health. They generally occur as complex mixtures and products of incomplete combustion processes originating from natural and anthropogenic sources. One important source of PAHs are vehicle exhaust gases and domestic heating, which explains their usually high concentrations in winter. Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is the most widely studied PAH and is often used as an indicator of carcinogenic hazard in polluted environments. In this study, PM10 samples (particulate matter with a diameter < 10 μm) were collected simultaneously at eight measuring sites in Zagreb, with different environmental conditions. 24-hour samples were collected on quartz filters from about 55 m3 of air over 30 days in winter. The measuring sites were located in the west (site A and B), east (site C), north (site D), south (site E), south-east (site F and H) and center (site G) of Zagreb. The analysis of the PAHs was performed using an Agilent Infinity 1260 high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector and programmed changes in excitation and emission wavelengths. There were no statistical differences for PM10 mass concentrations between the measuring sites. For most of the PAHs, a statistically significant difference was not found between the sites, except for fluoranthene and pyrene at sites D and H, and for fluoranthene at sites E and H and sites E and F. Also, a statistically significant difference was found for mass concentrations of dibenzo(a, h)anthracene between site G and E. The highest average mass concentrations of BaP were measured at site H (3, 725 ng m-3), while the lowest average mass concentrations were recorded for site C (1, 897 ng m-3). The results show elevated PAH concentrations at all locations during winter, without significant differences in their levels between sites.

Nagli industrijski razvoj u prošlom stoljeću te emisija produkata izgaranja i tehnoloških procesa izravno u okoliš, za posljedicu su imali pojačano onečišćenje atmosfere koje se može pripisati ljudskoj djelatnosti. Urbana područja obilježena su specifičnim izvorima onečišćenja, njegovim raspršenjem i zadržavanjem onečišćenja u atmosferi. Mikroklimatski uvjeti u gradovima i daljinski transport onečišćenja dodatno utječu na razine onečišćujućih tvari u zraku. U svrhu procjene dominantnih izvora onečišćenja zraka razvijeno je više statističkih modela zajedničkog naziva receptorski modeli. Primjena receptorskih modela zahtijeva određivanje masenih koncentracija velikog broja onečišćujućih tvari u duljem razdoblju. Cilj ovog istraživanje je pomoću PMF-(eng. Positive Matrix Factorization) receptorskog modela primijenjenog na jednogodišnju bazu podataka o onečišćenju zraka na području grada Zagreba procijeniti dominantne izvore onečišćenja zraka. Uzorkovanje PM2.5 frakcije lebdećih čestica u skladu s Normom HRN EN 12341 provedeno je svaki treći dan u razdoblju od 01. 07. 2018. do 01. 07. 2019. godine na mjernoj postaji IMI. Određene su masene koncentracije 38 onečišćujućih tvari koje uključuju ionski sastav, policikličke aromatske ugljikovodike, organski i elementni ugljik te 15 elemenata sadržanih u uzorcima lebdećih čestica. Neočekivane visoke razine koncentracija lebdećih čestica zabilježene krajem ožujka 2020. godine zasebno su razmatrane HYSPLIT modelom u svrhu procjene daljinskog transporta onečišćenja. Zamijećeno je kako su visoke koncentracije posljedica daljinskog transporta iz pustinje Karakum na području Turkmenistana. Upotrebom PMF receptorskog modela prepoznato je 8 dominantnih izvora onečišćenja zraka u Zagrebu. Zamijećen je visoki udio sekundarnog onečišćenja (sekundarni sulfati i nitrati) te značajni doprinosi prometa i gorenja biomase. Upotrebom modela prepoznate su epizode soljenja prometnica u gradu Zagrebu i epizode morskog aerosola. Dominantni udio sekundarnog onečišćenja navodi na zaključak kako u gradu Zagrebu ne postoje dominantni antropogeni izvori onečišćenja te kako su meteorološki uvjeti i položaj Zagreba odgovorni za epizode povišenih masenih koncentracija lebdećih čestica.

Nowadays, urban centres in countries of the Western Balkan (e.g., Bosnia and Herzegovina, B&H) are experiencing some of the poorest air quality worldwide due to the extensive use of solid fuels and an old vehicle fleet. Western Balkan countries lack state-of-the-science atmospheric research despite high levels of ambient pollution, making the efforts to understand the mechanisms of their air pollution imperative. Sarajevo, the capital of B&H, is situated in a basin surrounded by mountains. During the winter months, topography and meteorology cause significant pollution episodes. The Sarajevo Canton Winter Field Campaign 2018 (SAFICA) took place from Dec 04, 2017 to Mar 15, 2018 with online aerosol measurements and collection of daily, continuous filter PM10 samples for offline laboratory analyses. SAFICA aimed to give the first detailed characterization of the Western Balkans aerosol composition including organic aerosol (OA) to elucidate aerosol emission sources and atmospheric processing and to estimate the adverse health effects. PM10 samples (ntotal=180) were collected at four sites in the Sarajevo Canton: a) Bjelave and b) Pofalići (both urban background) ; c) Otoka (urban) ; d) Ivan Sedlo (remote). The urban sites were distributed along the city basin to study the pollutants’ urban evolution and the remote site was chosen to compare urban to background air masses. SAFICA PM10 samples underwent the following offline laboratory chemical analyses: 1) Bulk chemical composition of the total filter-collected water-soluble inorganic and OA by a high- resolution Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS). The measured AMS OA spectra were further analysed by Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) using the graphical user interface SoFi (Source Finder) to separate OA into subtypes characteristic for OA sources and atmospheric processes. 2) Organic and elemental carbon, water- soluble organic carbon, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (11), levoglucosan, organic acids (16) and 14C total carbon content to evaluate OA chemical composition. 3) Major inorganic anions and cations to evaluate aerosol inorganic species. 4) Aerosol metal content determined by three techniques (AAS, ICP-MS and EESI). 5) Aerosol oxidative potential (OP) by two methods (AA and DTT) to evaluate the ability of particles to generate adverse health effects causing reactive oxygen species. SAFICA online measurements of black carbon (Aethalometer) and the particle number conc. (CPC and OPS) enabled the insights into the daily evolution of primary pollutants and an assessment of aerosol size and number distribution. The combined SAFICA results for field and lab measurements will be presented. Our results show that carbonaceous aerosols make ~2/3 of PM10 mass and the majority are oxygenated, water-soluble OA species with an average OM/OC = 1.9 (Fig.1). Absolute OP levels are very high compared to other sites globally. However, more work is needed to estimate the contributions of different aerosol sources and species to total aerosol OP. Urban air pollution crises in the Western Balkan will be put in the context of local, regional and global air quality. Finally, we will present the scientific questions opened by SAFICA and give suggestions for future studies. We thank Federal Hydrometeorological Institute of B&H, Magee Scientific/Aerosol and TSI for support. We acknowledge the contribution of the COST Action CA16109 COLOSSAL and SEE Change Net. KDz and ASHP acknowledge the grant by the Swiss NSF (Scientific Exchanges IZSEZ0_189495), GM the Slovenian Science foundation program P1-0385, and SF by the Croatian Science Foundation (BiREADI IP-2018-01-3105).

Fine čestice aerodinamičkog promjera manjeg od 1 µm (PM1) igraju važnu ulogu u učincima na ljudsko zdravlje jer ostaju raspršene dulje vrijeme u atmosferi u odnosu na krupnije čestice, mogu se prenositi na velike udaljenosti i prodiru dublje u pluća. Budući da imaju veću površinu po jedinici mase u usporedbi s većim česticama, imaju i tendenciju apsorcije većih koncentracija organskih i anorganskih spojeva, od kojih su mnogi dokazano kancerogeni poput policikličkih aromatskih ugljikovodika (PAU). U ovom istaživanju određene su masene koncentracije deset mjerenih PAU vezanih na PM1 frakciju lebdećih čestica, te je ispitana njihova kancerogena aktivnost. Uzorkovanje lebdećih čestica provedeno je tijekom 30 dana u svakom godišnjem dobu u 2019. godini na dvije lokacije u Zagrebu. Lokacija A je gradska pozadinska postaja s umjerenom gustoćom prometa, dok je lokacija B gradska prometna postaja. Koncentracija PAU određivana je kromatografijom visoke djelotvornosti (HPLC) s fluorescentnim detektorom promjenjivih valnih duljina ekscitacije i emisije. Određivani su fluoranten (Flu), piren (Pir), benzo(a)antracen (BaA), krizen (Kri), benzo(b)fluoranten (BbF), benzo(k)fluoranten (BkF), benzo(a)piren (BaP), dibenzo(a, h)antracen (DahA), benzo(ghi)perilen (BghiP) i indeno(1, 2, 3-cd)piren (IP). Koncentracije PAU pokazuju izrazitu sezonsku ovisnost sa značajno višim koncentracijama u zimi u odnosu na ljeto na obje lokacije. Srednje vrijednosti deset mjerenih PAU bile su u rasponu od 0, 036 ng m-3 ljeti do 1, 314 ng m-3 zimi na lokaciji A odnosno (0, 069 – 2, 756) ng m-3 na lokaciji B. U zimi su na lokaciji B izmjerene statistički značajno više koncentracije za sve PAU osim za DahA u odnosu na lokaciju A. Masene konecntracije BaP na obje lokacije bile su u rastućem raponu: ljeto < proljeće < jesen < zima sa srednjom vrijednosti 0, 893 ng m-3 na lokaciji A odnosno 1, 281 ng m-3 na lokaciji B. Kancerogena aktivnost PAU određena je preko ekvivalenta BaP (BaPeq) na način da se izmjerena koncentracija pojedinog PAU u vanjskom zraku pomnožila s toksičnim ekvivalentnim faktorom (TEF) iz literature. Za lokaciju B su izračunate veće kancerogene aktivnosti u svim godišnjim dobima u odnosu na lokaciju A. Najviša kancerogena aktivnost izmjerena je zimi na lokaciji B (5, 021 ng m-3), a najniža ljeti (0, 059 ng m-3) na lokaciji A. Najveći doprinos kancerogenoj aktivnosti na obje lokacije dolazi od BaP (66, 3 % na lokaciji B, odnsosno 65, 2 % na lokaciji A). Nakon BaP slijedi BbF, čiji je doprinos ukupnoj kancerogenoj aktivnosti na obje lokacije iznosio 9, 3 %, a zatim DahA i IP s doprinosima 14, 1 % i 8, 0 %. Zbroj doprinosa ostalih PAU bio je manji od 7, 9 % na obje lokacije u svim godišnjim dobima.

Narrow city streets engulfed by tall buildings are favourable to a general effect of a “canyon” in which pollution accumulates strongly on a relatively small area because of weak or inexistent ventilation. The most important anthropogenic sources of primary particulate matter in cities are exhaust and non-exhaust emissions from road traffic as well as incomplete fuel combustion (diesel and gasoline) but they can also originate from resuspension from street surfaces. PM1 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter under 1 μm) mass concentration and its chemical composition depend strongly on meteorological factors (i.e., low ambient temperatures, temperature inversions), traffic, as well as street geometry. Especially in a canyon type street, the exhausts of motor vehicles accumulate and harm travellers, which are directly exposed to the atmosphere. Long and short-term exposure to ambient air pollution can trigger acute, chronic illness (cardiovascular diseases and asthma) or infectious diseases, preterm birth, earlier mortality and adverse neuropsychological effects. The aim of this study was to determine and compare levels of elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), total carbon (TC), water soluble OC (WSOC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and levoglucosan (LVG) mass concentrations and black smoke index (IBS) in PM1 particles between the colder (January-March) and warmer (April-June) part of the year at one street canyon location in the centre of Zagreb during 2019. Daily samples of airborne particles were collected on pre-fired quartz fibre filters from January to June 2019. PM1 mass concentrations were determined gravimetrically. Samples were analysed for OC, TC, WSOC and EC with thermal/optical transmittance method (TOT) using a EUSAAR_2 protocol, PAHs with high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector and time programmed changes in excitation and emission, levoglucosan with high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) while IBS was determined with the Smokestain reflectometer EEL43M. Preliminary measurements showed seasonal variations of mass concentrations for carbon species in PM1. The higher concentrations were observed during the cold periods of the year, while lower concentrations were recorded during the warmer period. Data analysis indicate that carbon content in particulate matter may be influenced by traffic and traffic jams due to the increased number of traffic lights and vehicles standing with engines running. The reducing particle concentration could be due to vehicles standing more than moving and raised less dust from the road itself. Therefore, a lower temperature during wintertime favours the condensation of organic compounds onto pre- existing particles and higher OC mass concentrations and OC content in PM1.

Vodeće svjetske organizacije poput Europske agencije za okoliš, Svjetske zdravstvene organizacije, Međunarodne agencije za istraživanje raka i Globalnog opterećenja bolestima istakle su onečišćenje zraka kao vodeću globalnu zdravstvenu prijetnju odgovornu za 3 - 7 milijuna smrtnih slučajeva godišnje. Zrak u urbanim sredinama kompleksna je i promjenjiva mješavina raznih kemijskih spojeva čiji mehanizam djelovanja nije u potpunosti poznat, iako se sumnja na poticanje oksidacijskog stresa i upalnih procesa. Biomonitoring ljudi ključan je alat u određivanju mogu li i u kojoj mjeri okolišni spojevi utjecati na populaciju ljudi. Izvor je važnih informacija o okolišnoj izloženosti te pomaže u prepoznavanju potencijalnih zdravstvenih rizika. Cilj projekta HUMNap jest odrediti povezanost između onečišćivala iz zraka te biomarkera izloženosti i ranih bioloških učinaka. Projekt će započeti s istraživanjima na geografskim lokacijama s različitim razinama i podrijetlom onečišćenja zraka te mjerenjima brojnih onečišćivala iz zraka. U sljedećim koracima vršit će se detaljna procjena različitih biomarkera izloženosti i ranih učinaka (genomska nestabilnost i oksidacijski stres) u ljudskoj populaciji koja živi na odabranim lokacijama. HUMNap će promicati razmjenu najnovijih tehnika i istraživačkih pristupa kako bi se razvila procjena rizika izloženosti ljudi onečišćivalima iz zraka. Ostali važni aspekti projekta HUMNap uključuju razvoj mladih znanstvenika u području toksikologije, podizanje svijesti o onečišćenju zraka, umrežavanje te daljnji razvoj strategija za praćenje onečišćenja zraka. Naposljetku, HUMNap će osigurati nove podatke potrebne za znanstveno utemeljenu procjenu rizika ljudske populacije izložene zagađenju zraka.

Air pollution is becoming recognized as one of the most serious public health issues worldwide. Rising industrial and energy productions, the burning of fossil fuels and biomass, as well as the rise in road traffic frequency contribute to air pollution in our cities. Urban air is a complex and variable mixture of many different chemicals whose exact mechanisms of action is not known, although oxidative stress and inflammation are suspected. Human biomonitoring is an essential tool for assessing whether and to what extent environmental substances affect the human population and as such can provide valuable data on environmental exposure and help identify potential health risks. Therefore, HUMNap will determine possible associations between the air pollutants and biomarkers of exposure and early biological effects. The project will start with investigations at multiple geographical locations with different air pollution levels and origin followed by measurements of various environmental airborne pollutants. The next step will be a detailed assessment of different biomarkers of exposure and early effects (genomic instability and oxidative stress) in human populations living in those geographical locations. HUMNap will promote state- of-art techniques and research approaches to develop risk assessments of human exposure to airborne pollutants. The results from HUMNap will demonstrate how airborne pollutants affect early molecular events important for disease development in different human blood and epithelial cells. It will also provide an assessment of possible cancer risk among human populations affected by polluted urban areas. Furthermore, HUMNap aims to draw the attention of many stakeholders such as leading scientists, policy makers, industry and the public in order to raise awareness regarding air pollution and develop monitoring regimes. Finally, HUMNap will provide new datasets necessary for scientifically based risk assessments of human populations exposed to urban air pollution.