 in order to assess the abilities of alveolar macrophages ( ams ) to phagocytize adsorbent - adsorbate complexes , rat ams were incubated in vitro with two carbon blacks that have 15-fold differences in specific surface areas ( astm classification n339 less than black pearls 2000 ) sorbed with 0.5 and 1.0 monolayer coverages of a polar and semi - polar adsorbate ( acrolein and benzofuran , respectively ) . 
 one - half monolayer coverages of n339 with either adsorbates significantly suppressed the phagocytosis of the carbon black , whereas one monolayer coverage did not . 
 neither adsorbate at either coverages affected the phagocytosis of black pearls 2000 . 
 the capacity of macrophages to phagocytize a subsequent particle challenge via the fc - membrane receptor was quantified following treatment of the macrophages with the carbon black - adsorbate complexes . 
 treatment of the macrophages with carbon black n339-adsorbates complexes at both coverages impaired fc - receptor - mediated phagocytosis , whereas no effect was observed when the carbon black was black pearls 2000 . 
 the results of this study indicate that the surface properties of the particles , the chemical properties of the chemical pollutants , and the interactions between particles and pollutants play a major role in defining the biological effect of particle - pollutant complexes.imagesfigure 2 . 
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