Gas-PM2.5 partitioning, health risks, and sources of atmospheric PAHs in a northern China city: Impact of domestic heating

Yuewei Sun; Jing Chen; Weihua Qin; Qing Yu; Ke Xin; Jing Ai; Huiying Huang; Xingang Liu

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120156

Gas-PM_2.5 partitioning, health risks, and sources of atmospheric PAHs in a northern China city: Impact of domestic heating

Environ Pollut. 2022 Nov 15:313:120156. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120156. Epub 2022 Sep 9.

Authors

Yuewei Sun¹, Jing Chen², Weihua Qin¹, Qing Yu¹, Ke Xin¹, Jing Ai¹, Huiying Huang¹, Xingang Liu¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Center of Atmospheric Environmental Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
² State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Center of Atmospheric Environmental Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China. Electronic address: jingchen@bnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 36096260
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120156

Abstract

The diurnal variation, gas-particle partitioning, health risks, and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in a northern basin city of China in winter, 2020. The mean concentrations of particulate and gaseous PAHs were 87.90 ng m^-3 and 69.65 ng m^-3, respectively, and their concentrations were considerably enhanced during the domestic heating period. The relationship between the gas-particle partitioning coefficient of PAHs (K_P) and subcooled liquid vapor pressure of PAHs (P_L⁰) indicated organic absorption as the mechanism for this partitioning. However, the dual sorption model confirmed adsorption onto elemental carbon (EC). The health risks indicated by several equivalent parameters showed an important health effect of PAHs, especially of particulate PAHs bound onto PM_2.5 during the heating period. Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) were also studied as an auxiliary parameter to evaluate the health impact of PAHs. According to the diagnostic ratios of PAHs and PMF model results, petroleum volatilization and coal combustion were the dominant sources of particulate PAHs during the non-heating and heating periods, respectively. The source apportionment results can help efficiently control PAHs and their health risks.

Keywords: Carcinogenic risk; Environmentally persistent free radical; Gas-particle partitioning; Organic pollutant; Source apportionment.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Carbon
China
Coal / analysis
Environmental Monitoring / methods
Gases
Particulate Matter / analysis
Petroleum*
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons* / analysis
Seasons

Substances

Air Pollutants
Coal
Gases
Particulate Matter
Petroleum
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Carbon