Indoor concentrations of fine particles and particle-bound PAHs in Gothenburg, Sweden

Abstract

Fine particles are formed in a variety of processes, both natural and anthropogenic. Epidemiological studies have shown an association between exposure to particulate matter and adverse health effects. Airborne particles contain a variety of compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and several of the PAHs are known or suspected carcinogens. In this study, stationary measurements of PM2.5 were performed in the residences of 20 study participants along with simultaneous monitoring at an urban background site. The collected particle mass was then analyzed for its content of some particle-bound PAHs using GC-MS. The median level of PM2.5 indoors was 7.3 μg/m3 and in urban background 5.3 μg/m3. For benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) the corresponding results were 10 pg/m3 and 35 pg/m3, respectively. There were significant correlations between indoor and ambient levels for both PM2.5 (rs=0.58, p=0.02) and B(a)P (rs=0.67, p=0.007). No significant correlation was, however, found between the concentration of PM2.5 and the associated levels of the investigated PAH compounds. This finding implies that exposure to B(a)P or other particle-bound PAH components needs to be separately assessed.