Particulate Matter

Particulate Matter (PM) is a form of air pollution. Airborne particles smaller than 10 micrometres are considered as Particulate Matter. PM consists of particles of different size, source and chemical composition.
 
Epidemiological and toxicological data show that inhalation of PM causes adverse health effects. In Belgium and The Netherlands, several thousand people die prematurely due to acute exposure to PM. People suffering from cardiovascular or lung disease show an increase in adverse effect upon chronic exposure. Chronic exposure by children impedes the development of their lungs.
 
PM limit values are frequently exceed in many cities in Europe, especially alongside busy roads.
 
This text is a translation of the Wikipedia article Fijnstof. This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence.