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Epidemiological studies have provided evidences for an association between exposure to elevated levels of ambient particulate matter (PM) and increased mortality and morbidity. However, the exact physiochemical nature of the responsible component is not clear. Secondary airborne PM formed from gas-phase pollutants contributes significantly to the most severe particulate air quality events. Although chemical formation for ionic species of aerosol have been observed, they have not been well reported for local variation. This work evaluates the amount of secondary particulate ionic species: sulfates (SO₄^2-) and nitrates (NO₃^-), chlorides (Cl⁻) and the mutagenic activities of PM10 extracts in different Italian sites (one Southern, one Central and three Northern; in one of the latter also PM2.5 has been evaluated). In general, mean secondary species concentration constitutes about 35–45% of PM10 mass in the …