Atmospheric levels, variations, sources and health risk of PM2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during winter over the North China Plain

Rongrong Shen; Zirui Liu; Xi Chen; Yuesi Wang; Lili Wang; Yusi Liu; Xingru Li

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.220

Atmospheric levels, variations, sources and health risk of PM_2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during winter over the North China Plain

Sci Total Environ. 2019 Mar 10:655:581-590. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.220. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Authors

Rongrong Shen¹, Zirui Liu¹, Xi Chen², Yuesi Wang³, Lili Wang¹, Yusi Liu⁴, Xingru Li⁵

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry (LAPC), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China.
² Department of Chemistry, Analytical and Testing Center, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry (LAPC), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China; Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: wys@mail.iap.ac.cn.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Analytical and Testing Center, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China; State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather & Key Laboratory for Atmospheric Chemistry of China Meteorology Administration, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, Analytical and Testing Center, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China. Electronic address: lixr@dq.cern.ac.cn.

PMID: 30476838
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.220

Abstract

PM_2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during winter 2015 at three urban sites, including Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang, and one background site (Xinglong) over the North China Plain (NCP) were investigated. The spatial variations of PAHs showed the same trends with PM_2.5 mass concentrations, i.e. the highest PAHs concentrations was in Shijiazhuang, followed by Tianjin, Beijing and the lowest PAHs concentrations was in Xinglong. The diurnal variations of PAHs exhibited PAHs concentrations during nighttime were higher than those during daytime. The dominant species in PAHs were fluranthene and benzo[b + k]fluoranthene, indicating that diesel vehicle emission, coal combustion and biomass burning could be important and potential sources for PAHs over the NCP. There results were supported by diagnostic ratios analysis. But coefficient of divergence analysis showed that a high extent of spatial contrast among four sampling sites, except between Beijing and Tianjin. Analysis of toxicity equivalent quantities (TEQ) and the lifetime excess cancer risk (ECR) from inhalation exposure to PAHs showed that 818, 1517, 5129 and 182 cases per 100,000 people exposed in Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang and Xinglong, respectively, which were much higher than the threshold value suggested by US-EPA, i.e. 1 case per 100,000 people, and indicating that the NCP suffered from very serious health risk from PAHs, especially in Shijiazhuang.

Keywords: Health risk assessment; Levels; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); Sources; The North China Plain (NCP).

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants / analysis*
Air Pollutants / chemistry
China
Environmental Monitoring*
Humans
Inhalation Exposure / analysis*
Particle Size
Particulate Matter / analysis*
Particulate Matter / chemistry
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / analysis*
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / chemistry
Risk
Seasons*

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons