City air pollution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other mutagens: occurrence, sources and health effects.
The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), mutagens and other air pollutants was investigated in a busy street in central Copenhagen and in a park area adjacent to the street. The winter concentration of benzo(a)pyrene was 4.4 +/- 1.2 ng/m3 in the street air and 1.4 +/- 0.6 ng/m3 in the city park. The atmospheric concentrations of PAH decreased in the order of: street > city background air approximately suburbs > village > open land. The traffic contribution of PAH to street air was estimated to be 90% on working days and 60% during weekends and its contribution to city background air was estimated to be 40%. Four different approaches to evaluate the health effects are discussed. The direct effect of PAH air pollution, and other mutagens, is considered to be a maximum of five lung cancer cases each year out of one million people.
Nielsen
T
T
Riso National Laboratory, Roskilde, Denmark.
Jørgensen
H E
HE
Larsen
J C
JC
Poulsen
M
M
D000397:Air Pollution; D004249:DNA Damage; D003718:Denmark; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011634:Public Health; D014504:Urban Health; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis
D009153:Mutagens; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D001335:Vehicle Emissions