Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban surface dust of Guangzhou, China: Status, sources and human health risk assessment

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2011-10, Vol.409 (21), p.4519-4527
• Main Authors: Wang, Wei, Huang, Min-juan, Kang, Yuan, Wang, Hong-sheng, Leung, Anna O.W., Cheung, Kwai Chung, Wong, Ming Hung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Air; Air Pollutants - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinogenesis, carcinogens and anticarcinogens; Chemical agents; Chemical mutagenesis; Child; China; Cities; Coal; Coal - analysis; Combustion; Composition profile; Dust; Dust - analysis; Dust control; emissions; Environmental Exposure - analysis; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental pollutants toxicology; Health risk assessment; Highways; Human; human health; Humans; Infant; kriging; Medical sciences; Models, Statistical; molecular weight; PAHs; Polyallylamine hydrochloride; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; prediction; risk; Risk Assessment; Source analysis; Toxicology; Tumors; Urban surface dust; Vehicle Emissions - analysis; vehicles; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.07.030

Ninety-six urban surface dust samples collected from Guangzhou, a typical urban center in South China, were analyzed for 16 PAHs (2–6 rings). ∑ PAHs concentrations in the urban surface dust ranged from 0.84 to 12.3 μg/g with a mean of 4.80 μg/g. High molecular weight compounds (4–6 rings) contributed to 62 to 94% of ∑ PAHs mass in the surface dust samples. Four hotspots with highest ∑ PAHs were identified via kriging prediction mapping, representing the highly-urbanized regions: central downtown, highway and industrial area. Two major origins of PAHs inputs to urban surface dust were identified as vehicle emissions (51.9%) and coal combustion (26.8%). The 95% UCL of Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) due to human exposure to urban surface dust PAHs in central South China was 3.03 × 10 −6 for children and 2.92 × 10 −6 for adults. ► The status and composition of PAHs in urban surface dust were studied. ► ∑ PAHs distribution correlated closely with the different human activities. ► Vehicle emission and coal combustion were the primary sources of PAHs. ► Human health risk of exposure to surface dust PAH via three pathways was assessed.