Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban street dust in Masjed Soleyman, Khuzestan, Iran: sources and health risk assessment

Abstract

ABSTRACT Population growth, industrial development, and a massive increase in the application of resources have led to the deterioration of human environmental quality. Due to the carcinogenicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), these compounds have been considered by environmentalists. The potential hazard to human health from exposure to 16 priority PAHs in street dust was investigated using 21 street dust samples from different land uses in Masjed Soleyman. PAH concentrations were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results showed that the mean concentration of PAHs in residential, commercial, and busy traffic land uses was 203.82, 557.73, and 311.12 µg·kg−1 respectively. Furthermore, the maximum and minimum amounts of total PAHs were detected in commercial and residential land uses, respectively. High molecular weight PAHs consisted 58% of total PAHs in the sampling area. Based on the results of diagnostic ratios, the main source of PAHs emission was pyrogenic. Results of Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) showed that the risks were negligible although higher for children compared to adults.