Oxygenated and Nitrated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ambient Air-Levels, Phase Partitioning, Mass Size Distributions, and Inhalation Bioaccessibility.

Gerhard Lammel,Marco Wietzoreck,Ondřej Sáňka,Roman Prokeš,Alexander Filippi,Jan Hovorka,Petra Příbylová,Petr Kukučka,Zoran Kitanovski,Andrea M Arangio,Cecilia Leoni,Garry P Codling,Jan Kuta,Pourya Shahpoury,Haijie Tong,Jiří Novák

doi:10.1021/acs.est.9b06820

Abstract

Among the nitrated and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs and OPAHs) are some of the most hazardous substances to public health, mainly because of their carcinogenicity and oxidative potential. Despite these concerns, the concentrations and fate of NPAHs and OPAHs in the atmospheric environment are largely unknown. Ambient air concentrations of 18 NPAHs, 5 quinones, and 5 other OPAHs were determined at two urban and one regional background sites in central Europe. At one of the urban sites, the total (gas and particulate) concentrations of Σ10OPAHs were 10.0 ± 9.2 ng/m3 in winter and 3.5 ± 1.6 ng/m3 in summer. The gradient to the regional background site exceeded 1 order of magnitude. Σ18NPAH concentrations were typically 1 order of magnitude lower than OPAHs. Among OPAHs, 9-fluorenone and (9,10)-anthraquinone were the most abundant species, accompanied by benzanthrone in winter. (9,10)-Anthraquinone represented two-thirds of quinones. We found that a large fraction of the target substance particulate mass was carried by submicrometer particles. The derived inhalation bioaccessibility in the PM10 size fraction is found to be ≈5% of the total ambient concentration of OPAHs and up to ≈2% for NPAHs. For 9-fluorenone and (9,10)-anthraquinone, up to 86 and 18%, respectively, were found at the rural site. Our results indicate that water solubility could function as a limiting factor for bioaccessibility of inhaled particulate NPAHs and OPAHs, without considerable effect of surfactant lipids and proteins in the lung lining fluid.

Highlights

IntroductionOrganic chemicals contribute significantly to air pollution and its adverse health effects.[1,2] A number of parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including the often monitored benzo[a]pyrene have been identified as substances of high concern;[3] some are mutagenic and carcinogenic[4] and across
Organic chemicals contribute significantly to air pollution and its adverse health effects.[1,2] A number of parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including the often monitored benzo[a]pyrene have been identified as substances of high concern;[3] some are mutagenic and carcinogenic[4] and acrossEurope PAHs represent the greatest environmental exposure health risk.[5]
Our results indicate that water solubility could function as a limiting factor for bioaccessibility of inhaled particulate NPAHs and oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs), without considerable effect of surfactant lipids and proteins in the lung lining fluid

Summary

Introduction

Organic chemicals contribute significantly to air pollution and its adverse health effects.[1,2] A number of parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including the often monitored benzo[a]pyrene have been identified as substances of high concern;[3] some are mutagenic and carcinogenic[4] and across. Europe PAHs represent the greatest environmental exposure health risk.[5] Many organic contaminants in the atmosphere are bound to fine particles. The health risk attributable to more polar constituents of particulate organic matter (POM) is not fully characterized and it is potentially related to diseases most commonly attributed to cigarette smoke exposure.[1,6,7] This fraction contains the strongest mutagens, which are nitrated. The mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of many quinones is high compared to parent PAHs,[8] because they form strong DNA adducts.[9]

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Results