Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Particulate matter (PM) emitted by the burning of fuels is the main source of environmental exposure to toxic elements present in atmospheric air in urban centers. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the incremental lifetime cancer risk (IRLT) associated with airborne arsenic, nickel and lead exposure in PM10 (diameter ≤10 µm) in the megacity of Sao Paulo, Brazil, an area with more than 7 million vehicles. METHODS: Concentrations of metals in the filter samples used in this study were provided by the São Paulo State Environmental Protection Agency (CETESB), sampled at Cerqueira Cesar station, near a busy street in the megacity, for the years 2002, 2006, 2009, and 2012. ProUCL software was used to estimate the upper confidence limits (95%UCL). The cancer risk assessment was carried out for each age group (1 to 70 years old), by inhalation route, and IRLT was calculated according to the methods of the USEPA. RESULTS:Airborne arsenic and lead concentrations showed higher means during the winter than in other seasons (p0.05). During this season, arsenic concentration was the highest one, even above international regulations. IRLT mean (UCL95%) for the exposed population to arsenic was 1.60E-05 (2.11E-05) in winter and 8.30E-06 (1.20E-05) for other seasons. For nickel, it was 1.58E-06 (1.98E-06) in winter and 1.48E-06 (2.21E-06) for other seasons. For lead, it was found 4.52E-07 (5.33E-07) in winter and 2.79E-07 (3.15E-07) for other seasons. Therefore, arsenic showed the highest risk, followed by nickel and lead. CONCLUSIONS:IRLT of airborne arsenic exposure was found to be greater than the value considered tolerable in many countries (1E-06). These findings highlight the importance of air pollution as a risk factor for population health, especially in urban centers with high vehicular traffic. Actions to reduce air pollution exposure should be prioritized in environmental and health policies agendas. Funded: FAPESP (2018/18391-0) and CAPES. KEYWORDS: particulate matter, heavy metals, risk assessment
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