Sources and seasonal variability of mutagenic agents in the Barcelona City aerosol

Abstract

Organic extracts (dichloromethane) isolated from airborne particulate matter, collected in two sampling sites located in the Barcelona City, were mutagenic in the Salmonella typhimurium (TA98 +/−S9) bioassay. The highest direct-acting mutagenicity (69–78 rev m −3) was detected during fall and spring, which corresponds to the highest levels of mutagenic nitroarenes (248 to 350 pg m −3). On the other hand, the highest level of indirect-acting mutagenicity was obtained in summer, paralleling with the highest concentrations of polycyclic aromatic ketones and polycyclic aromatic quinones. Furthermore, the sources of PAH in the urban particulate matter were estimated from the ratio of the less reactive components (i.e. benzofluranthenes / benzo[ e]pyrene, indeno[1,2,3- cd]pyrene / benzo[ ghi]perylene, methylphenantherenes / phenanthrene) and reflected a predominance of pyrolytic mobile sources (i.e. vehicular emissions). Nevertheless, a contribution of stationary sources in winter was also apparent. Finally, the seasonal variability of polycyclic aromatic ketones, quinones, aromatic lactones and aldehydes reflected a major contribution of the atmospheric transformation processes from related PAH rather than a direct emission from combustion sources.