Exposure and health risk assessment of PM2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during winter at residential homes: A case study in four Chinese cities

Zhuozhi Zhang; Qi Yuan; Meng Wang; Tafeng Hu; Yu Huang; Guangli Xiu; Senchao Lai; Yuan Gao; Shun Cheng Lee

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165111

Exposure and health risk assessment of PM_2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during winter at residential homes: A case study in four Chinese cities

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Oct 15:895:165111. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165111. Epub 2023 Jun 25.

Authors

Zhuozhi Zhang¹, Qi Yuan¹, Meng Wang¹, Tafeng Hu², Yu Huang², Guangli Xiu³, Senchao Lai⁴, Yuan Gao⁵, Shun Cheng Lee⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong.
² State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG), Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IEECAS), Xi'an 710061, China.
³ School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), Shanghai 200237, China.
⁴ The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology (SCUT), Guangzhou 510006, China.
⁵ Instrumentation and Service Center for Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China.
⁶ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong. Electronic address: shun-cheng.lee@polyu.edu.hk.

PMID: 37364838
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165111

Abstract

Residential indoor PM_2.5 were concurrently collected in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Xi'an during the winter and early spring seasons of 2016-2017, for updating the current knowledge of the spatial variation of indoor air pollution and the potential health risks in China. PM_2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were characterized, and the associated inhalation cancer risks were assessed by a probabilistic approach. Higher levels of indoor PAHs were identified in Xi'an residences (averaged at 176.27 ng m^-3) with those of other cities ranging from 3.07 to 15.85 ng m^-3. Traffic-related fuel combustion was identified as a common contributor to indoor PAHs through outdoor infiltration for all investigated cities. Indoor PAHs profiles showed city-specific differences, while distinctions between profiles based on indoor activities or ambient air quality were limited. Similar with the total PAHs concentrations, the estimated toxic equivalencies (TEQ) with reference to benzo[a]pyrene in Xi'an residences (median at 18.05 ng m^-3) were above the recommended value of 1 ng m^-3 and were magnitudes higher than the other investigated cities with estimated median TEQ ranging from 0.27 to 1.55 ng m^-3. Incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) due to PAHs inhalation exposure was identified with a descending order of adult (median at 8.42 × 10^-8) > adolescent (2.77 × 10^-8) > children (2.20 × 10^-8) > senior (1.72 × 10^-8) for different age groups. Considering the lifetime exposure-associated cancer risk (LCR), potential risks were identified for residents in Xi'an as an LCR level over 1 × 10^-6 was identified for half of the adolescent group (median at 8.96 × 10^-7), and exceedances were identified for about 90 % of the groups of adults (10th percentile at 8.29 × 10^-7) and seniors (10th percentile at 1.02 × 10^-6). The associated LCR estimated for other cities were relatively insignificant.

Keywords: Fine particulate matter; Indoor activities; Inhalation cancer risk; PAH; Probabilistic risk assessment; Residence.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Air Pollutants* / analysis
Child
China
Cities
Environmental Monitoring
Humans
Neoplasms*
Particulate Matter / analysis
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons* / analysis
Risk Assessment
Seasons

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons