Occurrence, health risk assessment and regional impact of parent, halogenated and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in tap water

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials 2021-07, Vol.413, p.125360, Article 125360
• Main Authors: Liu, Quanzhen, Xu, Xiong, Lin, Lihua, Yang, Guang, Wang, Donghong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Distribution; Incremental lifetime cancer risk; PAHs derivates; Population density; Predicted cancer incidence
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125360

Recently, derivates of parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have aroused increasing concerns due to potential health problems they cause. In this study, we first found the coexistence of PAHs, chlorinated PAHs (Cl-PAHs), brominated PAHs (Br-PAHs) and oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs) in tap water. Twenty-six compounds including 13 PAHs, 5 Cl-PAHs, 5 Br-PAHs, and 3 OPAHs were detected. Total concentrations of PAHs (2.50–56.90 ng L−1) and OPAHs (n.d. to 80.34 ng L−1) were relatively higher than those of Cl-PAHs (0.30–11.28 ng L−1) and Br-PAHs (n.d. to 8.20 ng L−1). We calculated the 95th percentile incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) values of PAHs and HPAHs. In all sampling sites, although no ILCR values for PAHs and HPAHs were higher than 1.00E-06, results still indicates there is still a low cancer risk existed. In addition, regional impact was established by combining ILCR values with population density. Predicted cancer incidence (PCI, people km−2) was calculated to evaluate regional impact more comprehensively. The results were different from previous hypothesis that sampling sites with high ILCR values may not necessarily present high regional impacts. After total PCI of each district was summed, all calculated districts of Beijing, China were at low regional impact. [Display omitted] •We first found the coexistence of PAHs, HPAHs and OPAHs in tap water of a megacity.•Health risk assessment of PAHs and HPAHs was calculated.•Regional impact was established by combining ILCR values with population density.•Sampling sites with high ILCR values may not present high regional impact.