scholarly journals Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 in Urumqi, China: Temporal Variations, Health Risk, and Sources

Atmosphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suwubinuer Rekefu ◽  
Dilinuer Talifu ◽  
Bo Gao ◽  
Yusan Turap ◽  
Mailikezhati Maihemuti ◽  
...  

PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 samples were simultaneously collected in Urumqi from January to December 2011, and 14 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined. The mean concentrations of total PAHs in PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 were 20.90~844.22 ng m−3 and 19.65~176.5 ng m−3 respectively, with the highest in winter and the lowest in summer. Above 80% of PAHs were enriched in PM2.5, which showed remarkable seasonal variations compared to coarse particles. High molecular weight (HMW) PAHs were predominant in PM2.5 (46.61~85.13%), whereas the proportions of lower molecular weight (LMW) and HMW PAHs in PM2.5–10 showed a decreasing and an increasing trend, respectively, from spring to winter. The estimated concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene equivalent carcinogenic potency (BaPeq) in PM2.5 (10.49~84.52 ng m−3) were higher than that of in PM2.5–10 (1.15~13.33 ng m−3) except in summer. The estimated value of inhalation cancer risk in PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 were 1.63 × 10−4~7.35 × 10−3 and 9.94 × 10−5~1.16 × 10−3, respectively, far exceeding the health-based guideline level of 10−4. Diagnostic ratios and positive matrix factorization results demonstrated that PAHs in PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 were from similar sources, such as coal combustion, biomass burning, coking, and petroleum combustion, respectively. Coal combustion was the most important source for PAHs both in PM2.5 and PM2.5–10, accounting for 54.20% and 50.29%, respectively.

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 337
Author(s):  
Supansa Chimjarn ◽  
Olivier Delhomme ◽  
Maurice Millet

Gas and particulate phase ambient air concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Ʃ16PAHs) were determined in Strasbourg, a large city located in the Alsace region of northeastern France, from May 2018 to March 2020, to study the evolution of their temporal variations and their potential origins. The analysis of PAHs was performed using a global analytical method permitting the quantification of pesticides, PAHs, and polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs). Filters and Carbon doped silicon carbide NMC@SiC foams were extracted by accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) followed by a solid-phase extraction (SPE). Afterwards, extracts were analyzed using gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Prior to analysis, a pre-concentration step based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was used with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) 100 µm fiber. The average total (gas plus particulate) concentration of Ʃ16PAHs varied from 0.51 to 117.31 ng m−3 with a mean of 16.87 ng m−3, with higher concentrations in the cold season of more than 2.5-fold and 6-fold that in the warm season for the gas and particulate phases, respectively. Moreover, low molecular weight (LMW) (2-ring and 3-ring) and medium molecular weight (MMW) (4-ring) PAHs contribute dominantly to the gas phase, while the particulate phase is associated with MMW (4-ring) and high molecular weight (HMW) (5-ring and 6-ring) PAHs. Gas/particle partitioning coefficient (log Kp) was calculated, and values varied between −4.13 and −1.49. It can be seen that the log Kp increased with the molecular weight of the PAHs and that the log Kp is different between cold and warm seasons for HMW PAHs but not for LMW PAHs. Diagnostic ratios of PAHs, which were employed to estimate the primary source of PAHs in Strasbourg, indicate that fuel combustion and biomass/coal burning are the possible origins of PAHs in Strasbourg’s atmosphere.


2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. S. Asaolu ◽  
A. J. Adesina ◽  
A. A. Adebawore ◽  
A. A. Araromi

Background and Objective: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have received substantial consideration as an environmental organic pollutant in many continents such as Africa, Europe, and Asia as well as parts of America. Many polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds have been proven, identified and quantified in nearly all segments of the environment due to their carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and cytotoxicity even at very low concentrations. The objective of the study was to look at the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fresh and smoked Scomber scombrus (Atlantic mackerel or Titus) and Trachurus trachurus (horse mackerel or kote in southwestern Nigeria) sold in Ado-Ekiti major markets, Nigeria and also assess the risks involved in their exposure and consumption. Materials and Methods: Fresh and smoked samples of two selected fishes (Kote and Titus) were taken for this study. They were cleaned and wrapped in aluminium foils, then refrigerated and the homogenized samples were extracted simultaneously by solvent-solid and Soxhlet extraction. The extracts were analyzed for sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using the Agilent 6890N GC-FID/MS. One and 2-way ANOVA and SPSS were employed for the statistical analysis. Results: The mean total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons levels in the fish samples ranged from 0.028 and 0.145 μg/kg. High molecular weight PAHs (HMW-PAHs) were generally predominant compared to low molecular weight PAHs (LMW-PAHs). The LMWPAH/HMW-PAH ratios were < 1 for both samples, indicating anthropogenic, mainly pyrogenic, the origin of PAHs in the sourced environment. Risk assessment conducted using benzo(a)pyrene carcinogenic and mutagenic toxicity equivalency factors (TEF and MEF, respectively) showed low risk (8.69e-08 – 5.93e-07 and 1.02e-07 – 1.83e-07 μg/kg, respectively for carcinogenicity and mutagenicity) associated with consuming both smoked and fresh fish samples were below USEPA guideline (1.0e-05) for potential cancer risk. The mean hazard indexes ranged from 6.77e-08 – 4.61e-07 and were below 1 in line with an acceptable cumulative threshold. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 < P > 0.05 levels (2-tailed).  Conclusion: This study showed that there are no adverse health effects of PAHs content on consumers of these two fish samples, however, levels of PAHs present in smoked fish may pose elevated cancer risks if consumed at high consumption rates over a long period.


2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-70

<p>About 140 samplings of fine and coarse particles were gathered during the year 2006 in Kozani that represent an urban area surrounded by opencast coal mining. A low volume dichotomus sampler has been used to trap suspended particles. The filters used were teflon, which are ideal for analysis in the determination of PAHs. The determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been carried out by the use of the analytic technique of large volume injection and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (LVI - GC/MS). The extraction of substances has been made in a two stage procedure, firstly with agitation in a magnetic shaker and secondly by the use of ultrasonic bath. This technique has given high recoveries of PAHs, in short time intervals. The mean daily concentrations of fine particles varied from 4 to 48 μg m-3 and annual mean was 16 μg m-3. The mean daily concentrations of coarse particles respectively varied from 2 to 67 μg m-3 with 23 μg m-3 annual mean concentration. The ΣPAH concentrations for fine samples were 4.80 ± 7.06 ng m-3 and for coarse samples were 1.36 ± 1.59 ng m-3. The mean B[a]Py concentration for fine particles was 0.38 ng m-3. Finally, diagnostic ratios were used to characterize and identify PAHs emission source in this study.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 84-93
Author(s):  
Hamid Al-Saad ◽  
Wisam Farid ◽  
Wasen Abdul-Ameer

The soil samples from 0–10 cm depth were collected from three areas (Center of Basrah – CB, Garmat Ali – GA, and Abu Al-Khasib – AK) located along the Shatt Al-Arab River (SR) delta in southern Iraq to estimate the distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The PAH total concentrations in the soils decreased significantly from CB (72.16 ng/g dry weight (DW)), GA (36.48 ng/g DW), to AK (17.30 ng/g DW) gradually indicating the impact of pollution emissions on the distribution of PAHs in soils. The low (2 and 3 ring) and high (4, 5, and 6 ring) molecular weight PAHs accounted for 14%, 16%, 37%, 21%, and 12% respectively in CB soil, 24%, 31%, 29%, 7%, and 10% in GA soil and 40%, 29%, 17%, 8%, and 8% in AK soil. The high molecular weight PAHs predominated in CB soils and the low molecular weight PAHs dominated in GA and AK soils suggesting a difference in emission sources between the studied areas. The PAH diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that PAHs in soils of the SR delta essentially originated from traffic and industrial emissions and biomass and grass/wood/coal combustion. The PAH atmospheric transport from CB area might impact the PAH distribution in the soils of AK area. The risk assessment of the soils has been performed. The total toxic equivalent concentrations (Bap<sub>teq</sub>) of PAHs in the examined areas did not exceed the Dutch target values suggesting that no carcinogenic risk for the SR delta soils was found.  


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 3295
Author(s):  
Ibigoni C. Howard ◽  
Kingsley E. Okpara ◽  
Kuaanan Techato

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants that possess serious risks to human health and the environment. Forty riverbed sediments samples were collected in mangrove river bed sediments where artisanal refining of crude oil takes place in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. The concentration, occurrence, distribution, toxicity and health risk of sixteen priority PAHs (16PAHs) were analysed in the samples. Apart from Nap, Acy, BkF, InP and DbE, all the other PAHs were present in all the sampled points of the studied area with BbF and BaA recording the highest mean values. The range and mean of the total PAHs (∑16PAHs) of this study are 23.461–89.886 mg/kg and 42.607 ± 14.30 mg/kg dry weight (dw), which is classified as heavily contaminated when compared to the European classification of PAHs pollution in soil (>1.0 mg/kg). The range of the effect range factors used to assess the risk of PAHs in an ecosystem (Effect rang-low (ER-L) and Effect range-median ER-M) of this study is from 0.953 to 8.80 mg/kg. PAHs below ER-L (4.0 mg/kg) indicate no toxic effect, but values above ER-M (44.79 mg/kg) indicate toxic effects to the sediments, its resources and, ultimately, the public that consumes the resources thereof; hence, the study area falls within the contaminated category. The occurrence of the high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs (73.4%) supersedes those of the lower molecular weight (LMW) PAHs (26.6%). The diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis suggest that the main contributors of PAHS into the sediments are the combustion of biomass, fossil fuel (crude oil) and pyrogenic sources. The toxic equivalent quotient (TEQ) and mutagenic equivalent quotient (MEQ) of PAHs ranged from 2.96 to 23.26 mgTEQ/kg dw and 4.47 to 23.52 mgMEQ/kg dw, and the total mean toxic equivalency quotient (∑TEQ) (15.12 ± 8.4 mg/kg) is also greater than the safe level of 0.6 mg/kg, which indicates high toxicity potency. The mean incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCRs) of human exposure to PAHs shows that both adults TotalILCR adults (6.15 × 10−5) and children TotalILCR children (2.48 × 10−4) can be affected by dermal contact rather than ingestion and inhalation. Based on these findings, the appropriate regulatory bodies and other organs of government in the region should enforce outright stoppage of the activities of these illegal artisans who do not have control mechanisms for loss control at the site and carry out appropriate clean-up of the area.


Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 76
Author(s):  
Rashid Mohammed ◽  
Zi-Feng Zhang ◽  
Chao Jiang ◽  
Ying-Hua Hu ◽  
Li-Yan Liu ◽  
...  

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 33 methylated PAHs (Me-PAHs), and 14 nitrated PAHs (NPAHs) were measured in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to study the removal efficiency of these compounds through the WWTPs, as well as their source appointment and potential risk in the effluent. The concentrations of ∑PAHs, ∑Me-PAHs, and ∑NPAHs were 2.01–8.91, 23.0–102, and 6.21–171 µg/L in the influent, and 0.17–1.37, 0.06–0.41 and 0.01–2.41 µg/L in the effluent, respectively. Simple Treat 4.0 and meta-regression methods were applied to calculate the removal efficiencies (REs) for the 63 PAHs and their derivatives in 10 WWTPs and the results were compared with the monitoring data. Overall, the ranges of REs were 55.3–95.4% predicated by the Simple Treat and 47.5–97.7% by the meta-regression. The results by diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis PCA showed that “mixed source” biomass, coal composition, and petroleum could be recognized to either petrogenic or pyrogenic sources. The risk assessment of the effluent was also evaluated, indicating that seven carcinogenic PAHs, Benzo[a]pyrene, Dibenz[a,h]anthracene, and Benzo(a)anthracene were major contributors to the toxics equivalency concentrations (TEQs) in the effluent of WWTPs, to which attention should be paid.


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