Abstract
The relationships between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM2.5 in outdoor and indoor environments of hotels were examined in Jinan, China from January 6, 2016 to January 29, 2016. The mean concentrations of ∑PAHs for all sampling sites showed the following ascending order: suburban indoor (SUI, 39.58 ng m–3), first urban indoor near a busy traffic road (URI1; 3 m, 63.26 ng m–3), suburban outdoor (SUO, 67.96 ng m–3), urban outdoor (URO, 105.30 ng m–3), and second urban indoor far away from the traffic roads (URI2 > 320 m, 115.63 ng m–3). The indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios of URI1 and SUI were all less than 1, indicating that the PAHs were mainly infiltrated from the outdoor environment. At URI2, 2-ring and some 3- and 4-ring PAHs were mainly produced indoors due to cooking, whereas the 5–7-ring PAHs were mainly infiltrated from the outdoor environment. The diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis indicated that emissions from combustion of coal, biomass, diesel fuel and gasoline were the main sources of PAHs in the study area. The impacts of health risk assessment of PAHs suggested that the health risks in the outdoor environment were more severe than those in the indoor environment and the health risks in urban area were significantly higher than those in the suburban area in Jinan.
Highlights
Considerable efforts have been made worldwide to clarify the effects of indoor air quality on human health (Yang et al, 2009; Hasheminassab et al, 2014; Zhu et al, 2015)
The mean concentrations of ∑polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were highest at URI2 (115.63 ng m–3), followed by urban outdoor sampling (URO) (105.30 ng m–3), and the concentrations of ∑PAHs were lowest at suburban indoor (SUI) (39.58 ng m–3)
At site URO, the PAHs had a higher concentration during daytime
Summary
Considerable efforts have been made worldwide to clarify the effects of indoor air quality on human health (Yang et al, 2009; Hasheminassab et al, 2014; Zhu et al, 2015). People spend most of their times indoors (Lai et al, 2004; Tiwari et al, 2015); indoor air pollutants, even at low concentrations, may have a considerable effect on human health due to the long exposure periods (Simoni et al, 2003). Agency (USEPA) (Musa Bandowe et al, 2010) They are generated as byproducts of incomplete combustion or organic matter decomposition (Li et al, 1999; Albinet et al, 2007). Contaminants generated from outdoors can infiltrate to indoors through cracks or convect to indoors through open windows or the air conditioning system (Barraza et al, 2014)
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