title: Exposure evaluation to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in an italian airport.
abstract: The aim of this study was to use environmental monitoring to evaluate occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and biphenyl in an Italian airport. Air was sampled using a quartz fiber filter, a polyurethane foam, and an XAD-2 layer. After extraction with dichloromethane, concentration and purification analyses of 25 PAHs (including biphenyl) were carried out by gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry. In winter 2005, 12 air samples were taken at 120 L/min for 24 hours in three different areas of the airport. PAH levels were found to be generally low. In all investigated areas, the higher levels refer to naphthalene (130-13,050 ng/m), 2-methylnaphthalene (64-28,500 ng/m), 1-methylnaphtalene (24-35,300 ng/m), and biphenyl (24-1610 ng/m). However, in some instances, for compounds such as benzo[b+j+k]fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene, two high-boiling PAHs, the levels found (54.2 ng/ m and 8.6 ng/m, respectively) can be considered of some concern.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Industrial Hygiene, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. iavicoli.ivo@rm.unicatt.it
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Iavicoli
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carelli
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bergamaschi
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001359:Aviation; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007558:Italy; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D012906:Smoke
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012906:Smoke