title: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the ambient air of Greek towns in relation to other atmospheric pollutants.
abstract: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in the ambient air of six towns in N. Greece. This paper presents the variability of the particle-bound PAHs concentrations and the particle PAH content during the cold and the warm months. Correlations of total PAHs with other atmospheric pollutants were largely different among towns indicating that the relative contribution of emission sources is different in each location. In the warm months PAHs were significantly correlated with vehicular pollutants thus suggesting traffic as the major PAH emmitting source. The same was also deduced from the comparison of the ambient PAH profiles to the profiles of particular sources. The contribution of residential heating was significant in most towns during winter. Principal component analysis of the data did not result in a clear distinction between towns thus suggesting that all are influenced by similar source types. Finally, the risk associated with the inhallation of carcinogenic PAHs in each town was estimated and compared to the risk from more urbanized/industrialized sites in N. Greece.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papageorgopoulou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Manoli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Touloumi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Samara
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity; D002947:Cities; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D010316:Particle Size; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature; D014504:Urban Health
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D002273:Carcinogens; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons