Abstract
It is difficult to evaluate and compare interventions for reducing exposure to air pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a widely found air pollutant in both indoor and outdoor air. This study presents the first application of the Monte Carlo population exposure assessment model to quantify the effects of different intervention strategies on inhalation exposure to PAHs and the associated lung cancer risk. The method was applied to the population in Beijing, China, in the year 2006. Several intervention strategies were designed and studied, including atmospheric cleaning, smoking prohibition indoors, use of clean fuel for cooking, enhancing ventilation while cooking and use of indoor cleaners. Their performances were quantified by population attributable fraction (PAF) and potential impact fraction (PIF) of lung cancer risk, and the changes in indoor PAH concentrations and annual inhalation doses were also calculated and compared. The results showed that atmospheric cleaning and use of indoor cleaners were the two most effective interventions. The sensitivity analysis showed that several input parameters had major influence on the modeled PAH inhalation exposure and the rankings of different interventions. The ranking was reasonably robust for the remaining majority of parameters. The method itself can be extended to other pollutants and in different places. It enables the quantitative comparison of different intervention strategies and would benefit intervention design and relevant policy making.
Highlights
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a widespread class of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) from incomplete combustion of organic matter
They are less valid in terms of exposure assessment compared with actual measurements, they have their unique strength especially when large scale intervention campaigns cannot be done or they are not even feasible due to reasons like unaffordable expenses: this situation is more likely to happen in poorer countries where, people are more vulnerable to combustionrelated exposures which typically include PAHs
The remaining population attributable fraction (PAF) in the intervention cases range from 3.61% to 1.19% for rural households and 2.85% to 0.48% for urban households, and the corresponding potential impact fraction (PIF) range from 0.01% to 2.47% for rural households and from 0.02% to 2.40% for urban households
Summary
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a widespread class of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) from incomplete combustion of organic matter They are air pollutants typically found indoors and outdoors [1], with significant sources at both places, including automobile exhaust, fire plant waste, indoor fuel use for cooking or heating, and smoking, etc. Some intervention studies for PAHs were improved stove programs aiming to reduce fuel-related PAH exposure in rural populations [5,6] and some others were similar programs conducted in occupational settings [7]. Most of these studies measured PAH metabolites [5,6,7] while a few others used modeling techniques [8]. They are less valid in terms of exposure assessment compared with actual measurements, they have their unique strength especially when large scale intervention campaigns cannot be done or they are not even feasible due to reasons like unaffordable expenses: this situation is more likely to happen in poorer countries where, people are more vulnerable to combustionrelated exposures which typically include PAHs
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