Air pollution: Involvement of oxygen radicals (a mini review)

In the past decades air pollution has increased worldwide. We also gained more insight into the complex interactions between different air pollutants in the atmosphere as well as their effects on living cells and organisms. It also has been unequivocally shown by several groups in different countries that oxy radicals play an outstanding role in the interconversion of air pollutants as well as during the manifestation of toxic effects. Not only living systems are affected by air pollutants, but also inorganic systems such as buildings and sculptures. In the following overview the most important reactions occuring in the atmosphere as well as effects of oxidative gaseous compounds and particles such as diesel soot and asbestos will be discussed.