Carcinogenic Risk Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Research Articles

A case study on occupational exposure assessment and characterization of particles in a printing shop in China.

Printers can release numerous particles to contaminate indoor environments and pose health risks. Clarifying the exposure level and physicochemical properties ofprinter-emitted particles (PEPs) will help to evaluate the health risks of printer operator. In our study, the particles concentration in the printing shop was monitored in real time for a long time (12h/day, total 6days), and the PEPs were collected to characterize their physicochemical properties including shape, size and compositions. The result showed that the concentration of PEPs is closely related to the printing workload and the highest particle mass concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 was 212.73μgm-3 and 91.48μgm-3, respectively. The concentration of PM1 in the printing shop was in the range of 11.88-80.59μgm-3 for mass value, and 174.83-1348.84 Pcm-3 for count value which changed with the printing volume. The particle sizes of PEPs were less than 900nm, 47.99% of PEPs was less than 200nm, and 14.21% of the particles were at the nanoscale. PEPs contained 68.92% organic carbon (OC), 5.31% elemental carbon (EC), 3.17% metal elements, and 22.60% other inorganic additives, which contained more OC and metal elements than toners. Total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) levels were 18.95ng/mg in toner and 120.70ng/mg in PEPs. The carcinogenic risk of PAHs in PEPs was 1.40 × 10-7. These findings suggested future studies should pay more attention to the health effects of printing workers exposed to nanoparticles.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fine road dust from a coal-utilization city: Spatial distribution, source diagnosis and risk assessment

Coal combustion can release large amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which persist in various environment matrices (e.g., road dust) and hence cause the carcinogenic risk to human health. In this study, an exhaustive characterization of road dust samples coupling their physicochemical characteristics and stable isotope compositions (δ13C and δ15N) was conducted to evaluate the source, level, spatial distribution, and carcinogenic risk of PAHs in a typical coal-utilization city. Concentrations of Σ16 PAHs ranged from 605.5 to 25,374.3 ng/g with a mean concentration of 4083.0 ng/g. Pollution levels of sites around the coal-fired power plant (Zone 1) were significantly higher than those in other zones (p < 0.05). PAH concentration showed significant correlations with both C and N fractions (p < 0.01). Compositions of δ13C and δ15N in road dust coupled to principal component analysis and the partitions and diagnostic ratios of PAHs contributed to associating road dust to several local sources of contamination. Coal combustion and vehicular exhaust were major sources of PAHs around the power plant and urban area. Results of incremental lifetime cancer risk showed 81.5% of all sampling sites suffered potential risk (>10−6) for both adults and children, while children around the power plant suffered the highest risk. Despite the estimation of only potential risk being posed by PAHs in road dust, human exposure to the various environmental matrices, scientific and systematic assessment of carcinogenic risks by PAHs in the total environment warrants further investigations.

Health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the soil around thermal power plants in southwest China

This study aimed to evaluate the PAH contamination levels and to assess the health risk of PAH in soils of two typical thermal power plants. The PAH content was detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The carcinogenic risk and the hazard quotient were assessed for health risk using the “Chinese Technical Guidelines for Risk Assessment of Contaminated Sites HJ 25.3-2014.” The results showed that the average concentration of Σ16PAHs in the soils around thermal power plants A and B are 7436 μg/kg and 8975 μg/kg, respectively indicating heavily pollution. The comprehensive carcinogenic risk of PAHs in thermal power plants A and B ranged from 0.26 × 10−6 to 4.16 × 10−6. Forty percent of the sampling sites exceeded the acceptable risk level (10−6), which is a potential carcinogenic risk to the workers. Among the seven kinds of carcinogens, Bap (39.91%) and DBA (36.10%) had the highest carcinogenic risk. Oral ingestion (57.22%) and skin contact (42.49%) were the major exposure pathways that could be blocked by wearing masks, gloves, and protective clothing. The control values for oral ingestion (0.32717 mg/kg) of DBA and Bap with the highest contribution rate of the carcinogenic risk and the lowest control value were selected as reference safety thresholds for PAHs in thermal power plants.

Pollution Sources and Carcinogenic Risk of PAHs in PM1 Particle Fraction in an Urban Area

Airborne particles are composed of inorganic species and organic compounds. PM1 particles, with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 1 μm, are considered to be important in the context of adverse health effects. Many compounds bound to particulate matter, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), are suspected to be genotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic. In this study, PAHs in the PM1 particle fraction were measured for one year (1/1/2018–31/12/2018). The measuring station was located in the northern residential part of Zagreb, the Croatian capital, close to a street with modest traffic. Significant differences were found between PAH concentrations during cold (January–March, October–December) and warm (April–September) periods of the year. In general, the mass concentrations of PAHs characteristic for car exhausts (benzo(ghi)perylene (BghiP), indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (IP), and benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF)) were higher during the whole year than concentrations of fluoranthene (Flu) and pyrene (Pyr), which originated mostly from domestic heating and biomass burning. Combustion of diesel and gasoline from vehicles was found to be one of the main PAH sources. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) was estimated for three age groups of populations and the results were much lower than the acceptable risk level (1 × 10−6). However, more than ten times higher PAH concentrations in the cold part of the year, as well as associated health risk, emphasize the need for monitoring of PAHs in PM1. These data represent a valuable tool in future plans and actions to control PAH sources and to improve the quality of life of urban populations.

Sources apportionment and carcinogenic risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in gas phase of urban Shanghai: Based on high volume solid phase extraction (Hi-volume SPE).

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants, posing potentially serious threats to human health. This study analyzed compositional characteristics, sources, and carcinogenic risks of PAHs in the atmospheric gas phase at an urban site in Shanghai, East China. Seventy-four gas phase samples were collected during the warm months of May-October 2018 using a high-volume solid phase extraction (Hi-volume SPE) technique. The total concentration of sixteen priority PAHs (ΣPAHs) was in the range of 5.54-182.05ngm-3 (average 34.47ngm-3) and the total of seven carcinogenic PAHs (ΣCPAHs) was in range of 0.03-1.49ngm-3 (average 0.48ngm-3), accounting for 1.47% of ΣPAHs and indicating low carcinogenic potential. Redundancy analyses indicated positive correlations between ΣPAHs and air quality, and ΣCPAHs and average high temperature, and a negative correlation between ΣPAHs and wind speed. Four possible sources, namely petroleum and petrogenic sources, traffic emissions, coal combustion, and mixed gasoline and coal combustion sources, were identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF), accounting for 62.84%, 19.31%, 10.15%, and 7.69% of ΣPAHs, respectively. The overall lifetime lung cancer risk (LLCR) through inhalation of PAHs was estimated to be at a low risk level of 1.61×10-5. The LLCR based on PMF apportionment decreased in the order of mixed gasoline and coal combustion sources (47.07%)>traffic emissions (35.10%)>petroleum and petrogenic sources (11.06%)>coal combustion (6.74%). This study demonstrates the effectiveness of Hi-volume SPE in collecting and analyzing atmospheric gas phase PAHs.

PM2.5-Bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Sources and Health Risk during Non-Heating and Heating Periods (Tangshan, China).

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may lead to adverse health risks. To understand the potential sources and carcinogenic risks of PAHs in Tangshan, 40 PM2.5 samples were collected for analysis of eighteen PM2.5-bound PAHs during non-heating period and heating period. The results display a significant variation. The median concentration of ∑18PAHs during the heating period (282 ng/m3) was higher than during the non-heating period (185 ng/m3). Especially, the median concentration of Benzopyrene (BaP) during the heating period (61.6 ng/m3) was 16.9-fold that during the non-heating period (3.64 ng/m3). It exceeded BaP annual average limit of China (1 ng/m3). Diagnostic ratios (DRs) and principal component analysis (PCA) both indicated that vehicle emissions and coal and biomass combustion were the dominant contributors of PAHs pollution in Tangshan. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) of three age groups (children, teenagers, and adults) ranged from 2.56 × 10−6 to 5.26 × 10−5 during the entire sampling periods. The 95% risk values of adults exceeded 10−4 during the heating periods, indicating a potential health risk from PAHs.

Health Risk Assessment from Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Present in Dietary Components: A Meta-analysis on a Global Scale

A carcinogenic risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in dietary components was conducted using probabilistic approach from a global perspective. Published monitoring data of PAHs present in foods at different study points across the world were reviewed and collected as their corresponding BaPeq concentrations. These BaPeq concentrations were used to evaluate comprehensive cancer risk for two different age groups (children and adults). Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analysis were applied to quantify uncertainties of risk estimation. 95% risk values for food PAHs varies between 5.36E-07 to 1.97E-03 for children and 6.44E-07 to 4.56E-03 for adults. Overall carcinogenic risks of PAHs in food samples from all over the world were mostly in acceptance limits. However, diagnostic ratio analysis confirmed that PAHs contribution by some cooking process like grilling/smoking and industrial/vehicular pollution can respectively affect cooked foods and raw agricultural products. Sensitivity analysis reveals exposure duration (contribution: 45.3% for Children & 54.7% for adults) and food ingestion rate per unit of body mass (contribution: 40.2% for children and 28.5% for adults) as the most influential parameter of the assessment, followed by cancer slope factor for ingestion of BaP. Some specific locations like Prince Island, Tianjin Province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province demand potential strategies of carcinogenic risk management and reduction. The current study is the probable first attempt to provide summed up information on carcinogenic risk of PAHs in dietary components on a global scale.

Concentration, Source, and Carcinogenic Risk of PAHs in the Soils from Jiaozhou Bay Wetland

16 surface soil samples were collected from Jiaozhou Bay wetland. The concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured by gas chromatography-mass selective detector (GC/MS). The total concentration of PAHs ranged from 176.1–563.3 ng/g dry weight, with a mean of 345.3 ng/g dry weight. Factor analysis was calculated to apportion sources of PAHs. It was found that the PAHs mainly from coal burning, traffic sources, diesel leakage, coke production, oil exploitation and petroleum leakage. Seven carcinogenic PAHs classified by the IARC were calculated for the health risk assessment. Two groups of people (children and adults) were selected to estimate the carcinogenic risk via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. As a result, the total carcinogenic risks for children and adults were 4.8 × 10−7 and 8.8 × 10−7, respectively, and the carcinogenic risks were at acceptable range. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the parameters which contributed most to the carcinogenic risk assessment. As as a result, the average lifespan (AT), body weight (BW), BaPeq concentrations (CS), exposure frequency (EF), and exposure duration (ED) contribute most to the carcinogenic risk assessment, and these should be acquired on a site-specific basis.

Health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the source water and drinking water of China: Quantitative analysis based on published monitoring data

A carcinogenic risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in source water and drinking water of China was conducted using probabilistic techniques from a national perspective. The published monitoring data of PAHs were gathered and converted into BaP equivalent (BaP eq) concentrations. Based on the transformed data, comprehensive risk assessment was performed by considering different age groups and exposure pathways. Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analysis were applied to quantify uncertainties of risk estimation. The risk analysis indicated that, the risk values for children and teens were lower than the accepted value (1.00E−05), indicating no significant carcinogenic risk. The probability of risk values above 1.00E−05 was 5.8% and 6.7% for adults and lifetime groups, respectively. Overall, carcinogenic risks of PAHs in source water and drinking water of China were mostly accepted. However, specific regions, such as Yellow river of Lanzhou reach and Qiantang river should be paid more attention. Notwithstanding the uncertainties inherent in the risk assessment, this study is the first attempt to provide information on carcinogenic risk of PAHs in source water and drinking water of China, and might be useful for potential strategies of carcinogenic risk management and reduction.