Abstract
PM2.5 samples were collected from January 2009 to January 2010 at two sampling sites located in the downtown (Centro) and toward the southwest (Miravalle) in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. The environmental concentrations of 14 selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM2.5 were identified and quantified. The most abundant PAHs in PM2.5 samples were benzo[ghi]perylene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[k]fluoranthene, accounting for approximately 75% of the total PAHs. The total PAH concentrations at the two sampling sites ranged from 0.65 to 19.62 ng·m−3. Spatial variations were found during the dry-warm season, which were attributed mainly to differing intensities of local traffic and less dispersion of air pollutants in Miravalle. Seasonal variations were associated with increases in rainfall (June-September) and differences in temperature (January–May and October–January). The benzo(a)pyrene-equivalent (BaPE) and BaP results suggest that exposure to PM2.5-containing carcinogenic PAHs (C-PAHs) in Miravalle during the warm-dry and cold-dry seasons can be seen as representing a serious risk to human health. The contributions from potential sources to PAHs in PM2.5 were evaluated by the diagnostic ratios between PAHs and principal component analysis (PCA). In the whole sampling period, vehicular emission activity, probably related to light and heavy traffic, was found to be the predominant contributor to PM2.5-bound PAHs.
Highlights
Airborne particulate matter is an atmospheric contaminant that constitutes a potential hazard to citizens in polluted urban areas
Fourteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with PM2.5 were identified and quantified at a downtown location (Centro) and an urban sector (Miravalle) located in the Metropolitan Zone of Guadalajara in Mexico
Spatial variation was only observed during the warm-dry season
Summary
Airborne particulate matter is an atmospheric contaminant that constitutes a potential hazard to citizens in polluted urban areas. Exposure to the breathable fraction of particulate matter is the most concerning because it has been found that it is the most detrimental to human health [3]. Particles with a size smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5 ) have shown the most significant association with increases in mortality by lung cancer and cardio-respiratory diseases by long-term exposure [4]. There is still disagreement on the main mechanisms responsible for the health effects [5], it is well known that various harmful organic components, elements and inorganic chemical substances, which are all part of particulates, can be a human health risk [6,7].
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