TY - JOUR
T1 - Human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the atmosphere of an agricultural area of central Chile and inhalation cancer risk assessments
AU - Pozo, Karla
AU - Córtes, Sandra
AU - Gómez, Victoria
AU - Guida, Yago
AU - Torres, Mariett
AU - Oliveira de Carvalho, Gabriel
AU - Přibylová, Petra
AU - Klánová, Jana
AU - Jorquera, Héctor
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (ANID) through projects ANID/FONDAP 15130011–1522A0002 (Sandra Cortés), Fondecyt 1161673 , 1211931 (Karla Pozo).
Funding Information:
The authors thank RECETOX Research Infrastructure (No LM2018121 ), financed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports , and the Operational Programme Research, Development, and Education (the CETOCOEN EXCELLENCE project No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/17_043/0009632 ) for supportive background.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Turkish National Committee for Air Pollution Research and Control
PY - 2023/3
Y1 - 2023/3
N2 - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent toxic substances prone to long-range atmospheric transport. Even in low concentrations, environmental exposure to PAHs can impact human health. In this study we aimed to i) investigate the occurrence of 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (∑15PAHs), from August 2016 to January 2018, in the atmosphere of Molina, using polyurethane foam disks (PAS-PUF) in central Chile; and ii) perform deterministic and probabilistic (using Monte Carlo simulations) inhalation cancer risk assessments. Gas chromatography and tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC- MS/MS) measured target PAHs. Results showed ∑15PAHs ranging from 2 ng m-3 to 108 ng m-3, with four-ring PAHs as the prevalent compounds, including phenanthrene (44%) and fluoranthene (24%). Winter season showed the highest PAH levels (increasing factor up to ∼8 times). PAHs diagnostic ratios showed the prevalence of pyrogenic combustion (winter) and petrogenic combustion (summer). Lifetime cancer risk assessments, using BaP-eq values, indicated an increased cancer risk for the exposed population considering different risk assessment approaches. Younger individuals were the most affected by an increased cancer risk at all sampling sites. The Monte Carlo probabilistic assessment indicated that infants and toddlers could be exposed to PAH air concentrations exceeding the cancer risk threshold in over 94% of the simulations. The coldest months in the studied region are critical for human exposure and health risk due to intense wood combustion. Indoor air can be even more relevant due to the chronic inhalation of the smoke and associated chemicals.
AB - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent toxic substances prone to long-range atmospheric transport. Even in low concentrations, environmental exposure to PAHs can impact human health. In this study we aimed to i) investigate the occurrence of 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (∑15PAHs), from August 2016 to January 2018, in the atmosphere of Molina, using polyurethane foam disks (PAS-PUF) in central Chile; and ii) perform deterministic and probabilistic (using Monte Carlo simulations) inhalation cancer risk assessments. Gas chromatography and tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC- MS/MS) measured target PAHs. Results showed ∑15PAHs ranging from 2 ng m-3 to 108 ng m-3, with four-ring PAHs as the prevalent compounds, including phenanthrene (44%) and fluoranthene (24%). Winter season showed the highest PAH levels (increasing factor up to ∼8 times). PAHs diagnostic ratios showed the prevalence of pyrogenic combustion (winter) and petrogenic combustion (summer). Lifetime cancer risk assessments, using BaP-eq values, indicated an increased cancer risk for the exposed population considering different risk assessment approaches. Younger individuals were the most affected by an increased cancer risk at all sampling sites. The Monte Carlo probabilistic assessment indicated that infants and toddlers could be exposed to PAH air concentrations exceeding the cancer risk threshold in over 94% of the simulations. The coldest months in the studied region are critical for human exposure and health risk due to intense wood combustion. Indoor air can be even more relevant due to the chronic inhalation of the smoke and associated chemicals.
KW - Inhalation cancer risk
KW - Outdoor air pollution
KW - PAHs
KW - Passive air sampling
KW - Public health
KW - Risk assessment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85149231464&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apr.2023.101695
DO - 10.1016/j.apr.2023.101695
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85149231464
SN - 1309-1042
VL - 14
JO - Atmospheric Pollution Research
JF - Atmospheric Pollution Research
IS - 3
M1 - 101695
ER -