Characterization of short-, medium- and long-chain chlorinated paraffins in ambient PM2.5 from the Pearl River Delta, China

Jingwen Huang; Lei Zhao; Yumeng Shi; Xiaowen Zeng; Wenwen Sun; Xianglong Zhao; Ruqing Liu; Qizhen Wu; Guanghui Dong; Da Chen; Xiaotu Liu

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2023.107932

Characterization of short-, medium- and long-chain chlorinated paraffins in ambient PM_2.5 from the Pearl River Delta, China

Environ Int. 2023 May:175:107932. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107932. Epub 2023 Apr 15.

Authors

Jingwen Huang¹, Lei Zhao², Yumeng Shi², Xiaowen Zeng¹, Wenwen Sun³, Xianglong Zhao³, Ruqing Liu¹, Qizhen Wu¹, Guanghui Dong¹, Da Chen², Xiaotu Liu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
² School of Environment and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
³ SCIEX (China) Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510623, China.
⁴ School of Environment and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China. Electronic address: liuxiaotu@jnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37116426
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107932

Abstract

Research on the environmental occurrence of long-chain chlorinated paraffins (LCCPs) in ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is still scarce. In the present study, short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) and LCCPs were simultaneously quantified and profiled in PM_2.5 samples collected from 96 primary or secondary schools in the Pearl River Delta of South China. SCCPs, MCCPs and LCCPs were detected in higher than 90% samples with concentrations in the range of 0.832-109, 1.02-110, and 0.173-17.4 ng/m³, respectively. The dominant congener groups of SCCPs, MCCPs and LCCPs were C₁₃Cl_6-8, C₁₄Cl_7-8, and C₁₈Cl_7-9, respectively. The concentrations of SCCPs and MCCPs were higher in summer than in winter, while an opposite seasonal trend was observed for LCCPs. Principal components analysis showed there were seasonal variations in the congener group patterns with C₁₃Cl_6-7 and C₁₄Cl₇ more abundant in summer than in winter_. Concentrations of CPs also exhibited slight spatial variations. Exposure risk assessment based on different age groups suggested exposure to PM_2.5-associated CPs would not pose significant health risk. The present study expands the existing knowledge of CPs contamination in atmospheric environment.

Keywords: Exposure assessment; Long-chain chlorinated paraffins; Particulate matter; Spatiotemporal variations.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

China
Environmental Monitoring
Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated* / analysis
Paraffin* / analysis
Particulate Matter / analysis
Rivers

Substances

Paraffin
Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated
Particulate Matter