title: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in indoor and outdoor environments and factors affecting their concentrations.
abstract: A highly sensitive analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 39 gaseous and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was used to determine the PAH composition of indoor and outdoor air in Shimizu, Japan. In both indoor and outdoor air, gaseous PAH concentrations were higher in summer than in winter, whereas particulate PAH concentrations were higher in winter than in summer. Correlation analysis indicated that indoor PAH compositions, especially the gaseous PAH composition, differed significantly from outdoor PAH compositions. Gaseous PAH concentrations indoors were significantly affected by insect repellents and heating sources. Particulate PAH concentrations indoors were significantly affected by cigarette smoking, the age and type (wood) of the house, and outdoor PAH concentrations. Inhalation risk associated with carcinogenic PAHs was estimated by using toxic equivalency factors based on the potency of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP). The carcinogenicity of the indoor PAH mixture was dominated by naphthalene followed by BaP and dibenz[a,h]anthracene.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan. ooura@smail.u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Amagai
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fusaya
authors.forename: Hidetsuru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsushita
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D003252:Construction Materials; D005740:Gases; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012621:Seasons; D012907:Smoking; D014934:Wood
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D005740:Gases; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons