Benzo[a]pyrene Levels Research Articles

Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and carcinogenic risk assessment in street-barbecued foods in China

Street-barbecued foods, despite their popularity, produce carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), chrysene (Chr), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) due to incomplete charcoal combustion, direct food-fuel contact, and excessive heating. This study analyzed barbecued foods from high-traffic street vendors using high-performance liquid chromatography. Among five food categories (meat, vegetable, aquatic, starch, and soy products), eight foods exceeded China’s BaP limit (5 µg/kg) and twelve exceeded the EU limit (2 µg/kg). The highest BaP and PAH4 levels were found in barbecued beef and pork belly, respectively. Chr levels were notably high due to open flame exposure. Health risk assessments indicated fourteen foods posed elevated carcinogenic risks. This study highlights the necessity of consumption control to mitigate these risks and provides evidence for improving street food safety and dietary security.

Causes of the unremitting high ambient levels of PM10 in a suburban background site in NE Spain

Atmospheric PM10 and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) concentrations in Manlleu (NE Spain) have remained high from 2008 to 2023, frequently exceeding EU limit/target values, and reaching BaP levels up to six times higher than urban averages in Spain. Furthermore, PM speciation campaigns were carried out in 2013, 2014–2015, 2016–2017 and 2021–2022. Chemical mass closure for autumn-winter showed a consistent PM10 composition for the different PM speciation campaigns, comprising 46–53% organic matter (OM), 18–26% secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA), 13–23% mineral matter (MM), and 5–9% elemental carbon (EC). Trend analysis revealed very light decrease and constant concentrations for PM10 and BaP, respectively over the study period, emphasizing the need for compliance with current and forthcoming EU air quality directives, the last aiming to halve PM10 limit values. Source apportionment of samples of the sporadic campaigns identified biomass burning (BB, 17.5 μg m−3, 48%) and MM and industry (16.3 μg m−3, 44%) as the main autumn-winter PM10 contributors, with high SIA concentrations attributed to several factors, including high ammonia (NH3) emissions. Local topography and meteorological conditions contribute to aggravate PM10 pollution. While metal concentrations have decreased since 2013, suggesting reduced industrial emissions, persistently high OM and EC concentrations indicate ongoing issues with BB emissions from domestic, commercial, and agricultural sources. Online analysis of black carbon (BC) and non-refractory PM1 components during winter 2016–2017 confirmed domestic and commercial BB as the primary sources of the BB contributions. These findings highlight the need of the implementation of more effective measures in reducing BB and agricultural/farming NH3 emissions. This study highlights the relevance of these issues for similar towns, the probable unremitting problem over the last decade, and the necessity of enhanced monitoring in small cities and policy actions to meet air quality standards under the new EU directive.

Long-term spatiotemporal variation of benzo[a]pyrene in Japan: Significant decrease in ambient concentrations, human exposure, and health risk

Although Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is considered carcinogenic to humans, the health effects of exposure to ambient levels have not been sufficiently investigated. This study estimated the long-term spatiotemporal variation of BaP in Japan over nearly two decades at a fine spatial resolution of 1 km. This study aimed to obtain an accurate spatiotemporal distribution of BaP that can be used in epidemiological studies on the health effects of ambient BaP exposure. The annual BaP concentrations were estimated using an ensemble machine learning approach using various predictors, including the concentrations and emission intensities of the criteria air pollutants, and meteorological, land use, and traffic-related variables. The model performance, evaluated by location-based cross-validation, exhibited satisfactory accuracy (R2 of 0.693). Densely populated areas showed higher BaP levels and greater temporal reduction, whereas BaP levels remained higher in some industrial areas. The population-weighted BaP in 2018 was 0.12 ng m−3, a decrease of approximately 70% from its 2000 value of 0.44 ng m−3, which was also reflected in the estimated excess number of lung cancer incidences. Accordingly, the proportion of BaP exposure below 0.12 ng m−3, which is the BaP concentration associated with an excess lifetime cancer risk of 10−5, reached 67% in 2018. Our estimates can be used in epidemiological studies to assess the health effects of BaP exposure at ambient concentrations.

Impact of PAHs compounds on air quality in Maragheh city: Probabilistic risk assessment and source apportionment

This study explores the concentrations and spatial distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the ambient air of Maragheh city, Iran, while evaluating their potential health implications. PAHs levels were examined in PAHs-bound to particulate matter samples collected from diverse locations across the city. The results showed that in all sampling points, there was contamination by PAHs. The mean total PAHs concentration was 11.5 ng.m−3, with Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) emerging as the predominant compound. Comparative analysis with other cities revealed relatively lower BaP levels in Maragheh, yet surpassing WHO guidelines in 92 % of samples. Spatial assessment heightened pollution in areas characterized by heavy traffic and industrial operations. Based on PCA analysis, it appears that 74 % of PAHs compounds originate from vehicle emissions, 13 % from the combustion of petroleum, and 6 % from a possible petroleum source. Health risk appraisal uncovered escalated carcinogenic and mutagenic hazards, especially among children. While risks remained below USEPA thresholds, ongoing monitoring and targeted interventions are advised to mitigate PAHs pollution in Maragheh and similar urban locales. Future endeavors should prioritize source elucidation, health impact assessments, and public awareness initiatives to safeguard community well-being.

Phenolic compounds in grape seed extract inhibiting the formation of benzo[a]pyrene in baked bacon related to scavenging free radicals and attenuating Maillard reaction

Grape seed extract (GSE) is a known natural antioxidant, but the inhibitory effect and mechanism of GSE on benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) in cured meats have not been investigated. This work investigated the effects of two major phenolic compounds in GSE, namely proanthocyanidin B2 and isorhamnetin, on the formation of BaP, free radical scavenging ability, color value, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) level and Amadori compound content. The results showed that proanthocyanidin B2 and isorhamnetin significantly inhibited BaP production in bacon (P < 0.05). The inhibition of BaP by 0.003% concentration of procyanidin B2 or isorhamnetin was 65.43% and 52.66%, respectively. Adding these phenolic compounds to bacon significantly reduced b* color value, HMF content, and Amadori compounds. Subsequently, the mechanism of BaP inhibition by these phenolic compounds was further systematically elucidated by modeling the glucose/lysine reaction, which was instrumental in scavenging free radicals and inhibiting the Maillard reaction. These findings provided valuable insights into the mechanism of BaP reduction facilitated by GSE, and propose the potential utility of GSE phenolics to mitigate BaP levels in baked bacon.

Verification of decreased polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) levels in yoghurt during storage using isotopically-labelled PAHs

This study detected 24 types of PAHs in yoghurt during fermentation and storage using the QuEChERS pretreatment coupled with gas chromatography triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QQQ-MS) method. Deuterated PAH8 standards were subsequently adopted to simulate and analyze the decreases in PAH levels during storage because PAH8 was identified as the suitable indicator of PAH levels and risks, based on correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed that benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), PAH24 and toxic equivalent (TEQ) levels decreased by 14.81 %, 14.95 % and 16.15 % after fermentation, respectively. During storage, BaP, PAH8 and TEQ levels declined continuously, reaching the maximum decrease rates of 56.44 %, 68.32 % and 71.84 %, respectively. Besides, the significant losses in BaP-d12 and PAH8-d levels verified the downward trends in non-labelled PAHs, with maximum decrease rates of 72.78 % and 56.74 %, respectively. This study provides reliable evidence of the decreases in PAH levels in yoghurt during storage and helpful guidance for future analysis of PAH changes.

Assessing the contribution of global wildfire biomass burning to BaP contamination in the Arctic.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have become cause for growing concern in the Arctic ecosystems, partly due to their stable levels despite global emission reduction. Wildfire is considered one of the primary sources that influence PAH levels and trends in the Arctic, but quantitative investigations of this influence are still lacking. This study estimates the global emissions of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a congener of PAHs with high carcinogenicity, from forest and grassland fires from 2001 to 2020 and simulates the contributions of wildfire-induced BaP emissions from different source regions to BaP contamination in the Arctic. We find that global wildfires contributed 29.3% to annual averaging BaP concentrations in the Arctic from 2001 to 2020. Additionally, we show that wildfires contributed significantly to BaP concentrations in the Arctic after 2011, enhancing it from 10.1% in 2011 to 83.9% in 2020. Our results reveal that wildfires accounted for 94.2% and 50.8% of BaP levels in the Asian Arctic during boreal summer and autumn, respectively, and 74.2% and 14.5% in the North American Arctic for the same seasons. The source-tagging approach identified that local wildfire biomass emissions were the largest source of BaP in the Arctic, accounting for 65.7% of its concentration, followed by those of Northern Asia (17.8%) and Northern North America (13.7%). Our findings anticipate wildfires to play a larger role in Arctic PAH contaminations alongside continually decreasing anthropogenic emissions and climate warming in the future.

Modelling benzo(a)pyrene concentrations for different meteorological conditions – Analysis of lung cancer cases and associated economic costs

Air pollution originating from the household presents a significant burden to public health, especially during the wintertime in countries, such as Poland, where coal substantially contributes to the energy market. One of the most hazardous components of particulate matter is benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). This study focusses on the impact of different meteorological conditions on BaP concentrations in Poland and associated impacts on human health and economic burdens. For this study, we used the EMEP MSC-W atmospheric chemistry transport model with meteorological data from the Weather Research and Forecasting model to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution of BaP over Central Europe. The model setup has two nested domains, with the inner domain at 4 km × 4 km over Poland, which is a hotspot for BaP concentrations. The outer domain covers countries surrounding Poland in coarser resolution (12 × 812 km), to ensure that transboundary pollution is properly characterized in the modelling. We investigated the sensitivity to variability in winter meteorological conditions on BaP levels and impacts using data from 3 years: 1) 2018, which represents average meteorological conditions during the winter season (BASE run), 2) 2010 with a cold winter (COLD), and 3) 2020 with a warm winter (WARM). The ALPHA-RiskPoll model was used to analyze the lung cancer cases and associated economic costs. The results show that the majority of Poland exceeds the target level of benzo(a)pyrene (1 ng m−3) mainly due to high concentrations during the cold months. High concentrations of BaP have serious health implications and the number of lung cancers in Poland due to BaP exposure varies from 57 to 77 cases for the WARM and COLD years, respectively. It is reflected in the economic costs, which ranged from 136, through 174 to 185 million euros/year for the WARM, BASE and COLD model runs, respectively.

Consistency between air and biological monitoring for assessing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure and cancer risk of workers

BackgroundAtmospheric levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been monitored in many companies since 1940. Because of the use of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and cutaneous absorption, the measurement of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), metabolite of pyrene (Pyr), and, more recently, 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (3-OHBaP), metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), has been carried out to assess PAH exposure and estimate health risks. ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the agreement between 523 air and biological levels recorded in the Exporisq-HAP database by taking into account the effectiveness of RPE. MethodsThe agreement/consistency between 523 air and biological exposure levels was assessed by estimating and comparing the probability of exceeding French limit values (LVs) for both BaP and 3-OHBaP and ACGIH LV for 1-OHP, respectively. PAH airborne levels (wPAHs) were weighted by an assigned protection factor (APF) depending on the type of mask worn by workers, while urinary 1-OHP concentrations were adjusted with the wBaP/wPyr ratio of each industrial sector (wadj1-OHP). ResultsWithin occupational groups, there was an overall agreement between airborne PAH levels and urinary biomarker concentrations. A clear dichotomy was found between “petroleum-derived” and “coal-derived” groups, with much higher exposures in the latest group despite the use of RPEs by two-thirds of the workers. The type of RPE varied from one plant to another, which underlines the importance of taking into account their effectiveness. The analysis of urinary 3-OHBaP was not relevant for low PAH exposure levels. In addition, this biomarker underdiagnosed the exceedance of LV relative to BaP levels for 6% of “coal-derived” groups. ConclusionsThe use of urinary wadj1-OHP seemed to be more protective to assess the exceedance of LVs than those of urinary 3-OHBaP and air wBaP, but adjustment of the 1-OHP concentration by the BaP/Pyr ratio requires air sampling due to highly variable ratios observed in the studied occupational groups.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Risk Assessment and Analytical Methods Using QuEchERS Pretreatment for the Evaluation of Herbal Medicine Ingredients in Korea.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds that are often formed during the thermal processing of herbal medicine ingredients. In this study, the concentrations of four PAHs (PAH4) in various herbal medicine ingredients were monitored. Further, the QuEChERS method was used to replace conventional pretreatment, a more complex and cumbersome approach. The recovery range of the QuEChERS method ranged between 89.65–118.59%, and the average detection levels of benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), chrysene (CHR), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), and Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in 50 herbal medicine ingredients were 0.18, 0.27, 1.13, and 0.17 μg/kg, respectively. The BaP and PAH4 levels in all tested samples were deemed safe according to risk characterization analyses based on European Union and Korean guidelines. Therefore, our findings indicated that the QuEChERS method could be used as an effective alternative to conventional sample pretreatment for the analysis of herbal medicine ingredients.

Determining the bioavailability of benzo(a)pyrene through standardized desorption extraction in a certified reference contaminated soil

There is a strong need for certified reference materials in the quality assurance of nonionic soil contaminant bioavailability estimations through physicochemical methods. We applied desorption extraction, a method recently standardized as ISO16751, to determine the bioavailable concentration of the most commonly regulated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), in the reference industrial soil BCR-524 with a certified BaP total concentration of 8.60 mg kg−1. This concentration represented BaP levels found in many PAH-polluted soils. The method, based on single-point extraction of the analyte desorbed into the aqueous phase by a receiving phase (Tenax or cyclodextrin), was applied ten times. The data fulfilled highly demanding quality criteria based on recovery and repeatability. The bioavailable BaP concentration detected through Tenax extraction, 1.82 mg kg−1, was comparable to bioavailable concentrations determined in field-contaminated soils and to environmental quality standards based on previously observed total BaP concentrations. There was good agreement (Student's t-test, P ≤ 0.05) with the bioavailable BaP concentration determined by cyclodextrin extraction (1.53 mg kg−1). The methods were extended to four other certified 4- and 5-ringed PAHs for comparative purposes. We suggest ways of improving of the ISO16751 standard related to further systematic assessment of the Tenax-to-soil ratio and incorporation of mass balances. Furthermore, BCR-524 is suitable for quality-assurance protocols with these methods when used in site-specific risk assessments of PAH-polluted environments.

The Shift from a Traditional to an Improved Fish Smoking Oven in Ghana

Abstract Smoked fish products are an important source of animal protein in Ghana. They are processed on traditional ovens (namely, the Chorkor smoker and the metal drum), which results in elevated product contamination with carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pah s). The main regulatory marker for pah s is benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). An improved oven called the fao-Thiaroye Processing Technique (ftt) has been proposed as an intervention. This study evaluated the efficacy of that intervention and evaluated consumer response to its products. Sardinella sp. was smoked separately on the ftt and the traditional ovens and their BaP levels determined. Whereas the mean BaP in the ftt product was 0.2 µg/kg (ten times lower than the EU limit of 2 µg/kg), the levels in the Chorkor smoker and metal drum products were 60 µg/kg and 26 µg/kg, respectively (up to 30 times the EU limit). Consumer acceptance did not differ between ftt and traditional oven products. This suggests that ftt is an efficacious intervention whose products are acceptable to consumers.

Change of benzo(a)pyrene during frying and its groove binding to calf thymus DNA

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a prototype of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with potential mutagenicity, toxicity and carcinogenicity, is ubiquitous in deep-fried foods. Herein, the changes in eight specific PAHs (PAH8) concentration in sunflower oil during frying were investigated by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry (GC-QqQ-MS). PAH8 concentrations in sunflower oil were 23.92–27.82 μg kg−1 and increased with increasing frying time. The detected BaP levels were 3.64–4.00 μg kg−1, exceeding the upper limit (2 μg kg−1) set by European Union (EU), though below the limiting value (10 μg kg−1) in China. The interaction between BaP and calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) was explored through various spectroscopic methods and molecular docking. Melting studies, denaturation experiments, ionic strength effects and viscosity measurements indicated that BaP interacted with ctDNA primarily via groove binding as evidenced by circular dichroism analysis and molecular docking. Further gel electrophoresis assays suggested that DNA was damaged at high levels of BaP.

Distribution, inhalation and health risk of PM2.5 related PAHs in indoor environments

To investigate the potential cancer risk resulting from exposure to air pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) bound to airborne particles (PM2.5) were assessed in one outdoor environment and four indoor environments before and during the Spring Festival of 2015. The average total PAH concentration was site-dependent, and the concentration decreased before and during the Spring Festival. Fluoranthene (Flt) was the most commonly occurring among the 16 priority PAHs, and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) accounted for the largest portion of the total carcinogenic potency of PAHs in PM2.5. The average BaP levels, in both indoor and outdoor environments, considerably exceeded the maximum permissible risk level of 1 ng/m3. Hazard quotients were found to be much less than 1, indicating little risk in terms of non-carcinogenic effects. Carcinogenic health risks resulting from possible carcinogens were determined to be much less than 1.00E-06. According to the California and WHO reference protocol, using empty room data to estimate the carcinogenic health risk produced values that were 10% lower than those calculated using outdoor environmental data.

Exporisq-HAP database: 20 years of monitoring French occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures and identification of exposure determinants.

Millions of workers are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a well-known family of carcinogens, but occupational exposure data about PAH mixture compositions are scarce. To provide a detailed picture of airborne PAH exposures encountered in the French industrial landscape over the previous 20 years and to identify determinants driving exposures. Results from 1643 airborne samples of 16 gaseous and particulate PAHs implemented into the Exporisq HAP database from 1995 to 2014 were used to describe exposure levels and aerosol chemical composition in many industries and activities. Compliance of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) levels with several existing occupational exposure limits for long-term exposure was assessed. BaP levels were lower than those reported in the literature, but the level and composition of PAH mixtures were highly variable between and within industries. Numerous exposure determinants (e.g., product composition, type and temperature of process, ventilation and confinement) were assumed to explain these differences. The highest levels were found in industries using products derived from coal (aluminum, silicon, and coke production, manufacturing of carbon products and foundries), with mean BaP levels up to 23 times higher than the French recommended value of 150 ng/m3. Forty-seven percent of the occupational activities exceeded this value. Conversely, exposures resulting from petroleum-derived products were relatively low. As health effects depend on PAH levels but also on the composition of the mixture, exposure assessments must characterize the entire mixtures and record specific determinants to define homogeneous exposure groups and to accurately assess health risks.

The influence of specific atmospheric circulation types on PM10-bound benzo(a)pyrene inhalation related lung cancer risk in Barcelona, Spain

Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is a Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) well known for its carcinogenic effects. In this study, BaP levels in daily PM10 samples collected at 8 stations in Barcelona (Spain), during the years 2013–2015, were analyzed in relation to distinct atmospheric circulation patterns. Our objective was to estimate the BaP inhalation related Lung Cancer Risk (LCR) in connection with the prevailing synoptic conditions. Air masses were also analyzed in order to examine the possibility of transboundary BaP contributions. The influence of high pressure anticyclonic systems caused a sharp increase of PM10-bound BaP concentrations in all stations due to recirculation and accumulation of polluted air, whilst the calculated BaP inhalation related LCR values implied a potential health risk from BaP exposure and were not recommendable primarily at central heavily trafficked sites. However the LCR remained below the upper limit posed by United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), even under the most stagnant atmospheric conditions. The elaboration of backward air mass trajectories with Concentration Weighted Trajectory (CWT) algorithm indicated that combustion emissions in Spain, France and the industrialized Northern coast of Algeria are potential contributors to the PM10-bound BaP concentrations measured in Barcelona.

Benzo[&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;a&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;]pyrene in urban environments of eastern Moscow: pollution levels and critical loads

Abstract. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), particularly benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), are toxic compounds emitted from various anthropogenic sources. Understanding the BaP concentrations, dynamics and decomposition in soil is required to assess the critical loads of BaP in urban environments. This study is the first attempt to evaluate all major input and output components of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) balance and to calculate the permissible load on the urban environment in different land-use zones in the Eastern district of Moscow. BaP contamination of the snow cover in the Eastern district of Moscow was related to daily BaP fallout from the atmosphere. In 2010, the mean content of the pollutant in the snow dust was 1942 ng g−1, whereas the average intensity of its fallout was 7.13 ng m−2 per day. Across the territory, BaP winter fallout intensities varied from 0.3 to 1100 ng m−2 per day. The average BaP content in the surface (0–10 cm) soil horizons was 409 ng g−1, which is 83 times higher than the local background value and 20 times higher than the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) accepted in Russia. The variations in soil and snow BaP concentrations among different land-use zones were examined. A significant contribution of BaP from the atmosphere to urban soils was identified. Based on the measurements of BaP atmospheric fallout and BaP reserves in the soils, the critical loads of BaP for the land-use zones in the Eastern district were calculated for different values of degradation intensity and different exposure times. It was established that at an annual degradation intensity of 1–10 %, ecologically safe BaP levels in the soils of all land-use zones, excluding the agricultural zone, will only be reached after many decades or centuries.

Evaluation of gas-particle partitioning in a regional air quality model for organic pollutants

Abstract. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are of considerable concern due to their well-recognized toxicity and their potential to bioaccumulate and engage in long-range transport. These compounds are semi-volatile and, therefore, create a partition between vapour and condensed phases in the atmosphere, while both phases can undergo chemical reactions. This work describes the extension of the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modelling system to POPs with a focus on establishing an adaptable framework that accounts for gaseous chemistry, heterogeneous reactions, and gas-particle partitioning (GPP). The effect of GPP is assessed by implementing a set of independent parameterizations within the CMAQ aerosol module, including the Junge–Pankow (JP) adsorption model, the Harner–Bidleman (HB) organic matter (OM) absorption model, and the dual Dachs–Eisenreich (DE) black carbon (BC) adsorption and OM absorption model. Use of these descriptors in a modified version of CMAQ for benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) results in different fate and transport patterns as demonstrated by regional-scale simulations performed for a European domain during 2006. The dual DE model predicted 24.1 % higher average domain concentrations compared to the HB model, which was in turn predicting 119.2 % higher levels compared to the baseline JP model. Evaluation with measurements from the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) reveals the capability of the more extensive DE model to better capture the ambient levels and seasonal behaviour of BaP. It is found that the heterogeneous reaction of BaP with O3 may decrease its atmospheric lifetime by 25.2 % (domain and annual average) and near-ground concentrations by 18.8 %. Marginally better model performance was found for one of the six EMEP stations (Košetice) when heterogeneous BaP reactivity was included. Further analysis shows that, for the rest of the EMEP locations, the model continues to underestimate BaP levels, an observation that can be attributed to low emission estimates for such remote areas. These findings suggest that, when modelling the fate and transport of organic pollutants on large spatio-temporal scales, the selection and parameterization of GPP can be as important as degradation (reactivity).

Air pollution exposure during pregnancy and brain morphology in young children: a population-based prospective birth cohort study

Background: Increasing evidence indicates that air pollution exposure during pregnancy is related to impaired child neuropsychological development. However, it is unclear if brain structural alterations underlie this association. Therefore, we aimed to assess whether air pollution exposure during pregnancy is related to brain morphology in young children. Methods: Population-based birth cohort set up in Rotterdam, The Netherlands (2002-2006). Air pollution levels at birth addresses were estimated by land-use or dispersion models based on monitoring campaigns done between 2008 and 2010. Levels were extrapolated back in time to the pregnancy period using routine background monitoring network. Structural neuroimaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and neuropsychological assessment using NEPSY-II were performed at age 8 years (n=783). Results: Air pollution levels were not associated with global brain volumes or white matter microstructure. Conversely, children exposed to PM2.5, PMcoarse, PM2.5absorbance, and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) during pregnancy had thinner cortices in several brain regions particularly in the frontal lobe, after adjusting for child’s sex, age, IQ, and parental socioeconomic and life-style characteristics. Specifically, PM2.5 and BaP levels were associated with a reduced cortical thickness of the rostral middle frontal and praecuneus regions, and PM2.5 levels during pregnancy were related to the pars orbitalis region. PM2.5 and BaP levels were associated with an impaired worse inhibitory control of the children, while a reduced cortical thickness of the regions related to these pollutants was also associated with an impaired inhibitory control. Conclusions: Our results suggested that air pollution exposure during pregnancy is associated with a reduced cortical thickness in several brain regions, particularly in the frontal lobe. Both the exposure and the regions with reduced cortical thickness were related to an impaired inhibitory control in children.

Abstract 3432: Outdoor air pollution and household coal combustion in a rural high lung cancer incidence area of China

Abstract Outdoor air pollution inside populated areas is a growing environmental health concern. Epidemiological data related to exposures to outdoor air pollution are limited in rural areas. We previously assessed indoor and personal exposures in two Chinese rural counties, Xuanwei and Fuyuan, where the domestic combustion of locally sourced “smoky” (i.e., bituminous) but not “smokeless” (i.e., anthracite) coal has been associated with the highest lung cancer rates in China. In addition, we have previously reported that improving home ventilation by installing stoves with chimneys was associated with a reduction in lung cancer rates in this region. However, outdoor air pollution from indoor burning of coal and the impact of improving household ventilation on outdoor air pollution have never been assessed in this area. Therefore, we measured outdoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) including the known carcinogen benzo-a-pyrene (BaP) over two consecutive 24-hour sampling periods in 29 villages. Half of the villages were revisited several months after the initial sampling period to repeat all measurements. The overall concentrations of outdoor pollutants in Xuanwei and Fuyuan were 53.1 μg/m3 (13.2-103.4 μg/m3) for PM2.5, and 11.1 ng/m3 (5.9-19.8 ng/m3) for BaP. PM2.5 levels were almost twice as high as the 24-hour mean World Health Organization guideline value of 25 μg/m3. Outdoor BaP concentrations in villages with homes using smoky coal were significantly higher than those with homes that used smokeless coal (11.6 vs 5.9 ng/m3, p &amp;lt; 0.05). Among villages using smoky coal, higher outdoor BaP levels were found in villages where &amp;gt;50% of households had a chimney compared to villages where ≤50% of homes had a chimney (12.3 vs 7.1 ng/m3, p = 0.024). Outdoor PM2.5 was moderately correlated with the indoor concentration (Spearman rs = 0.28, p = 0.011). These results show that outdoor air pollution in a rural region of China with a high incidence of lung cancer was associated with type of coal used for cooking and heating indoors and the presence of stove ventilation. These findings suggest that further reducing adverse health effects in rural villages from home burning of coal will likely require use of stoves that reduce environmental exhaust and/or the replacement of coal with cleaner fuel types. Citation Format: Wei Hu, George Downward, Boris Reiss, Nathaniel Rothman, Jihua Li, Jun He, K.F Morales-Collins, Jun Xu, Weijie Seow, Bryan Bassig, Dean Hosgood, Linlin Zhang, M Hoogeveen, Ingrid Rijk, Guoping Wu, Fusheng Wei, Roel Vermeulen, Qing Lan. Outdoor air pollution and household coal combustion in a rural high lung cancer incidence area of China. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3432.