title: Risk assessment of inhalation exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in school children.
abstract: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with the inhalable fraction of particulate matter were determined for 1 year (2009-2010) at a school site located in proximity of industrial and heavy traffic roads in Delhi, India. PM10 (aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm) levels were ∼11.6 times the World Health Organization standard. Vehicular (59.5%) and coal combustion (40.5%) sources accounted for the high levels of PAHs (range 38.1-217.3 ng m(-3)) with four- and five-ring PAHs having ∼80 % contribution. Total PAHs were dominated by carcinogenic species (∼75%) and B[a]P equivalent concentrations indicated highest exposure risks during winter. Extremely high daily inhalation exposure of PAHs was observed during winter (439.43 ng day(-1)) followed by monsoon (232.59 ng day(-1)) and summer (171.08 ng day(-1)). Daily inhalation exposure of PAHs to school children during a day exhibited the trend school hours > commuting to school > resting period in all the seasons. Vehicular source contributions to daily PAH levels were significantly correlated (r = 0.94, p < 0.001) with the daily inhalation exposure level of school children. A conservative estimate of ∼11 excess cancer cases in children during childhood due to inhalation exposure of PAHs has been made for Delhi.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Laboratory, Room No. 325, School of Environmental Sciences, 1Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India.
authors.forename: Darpa Saurav
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Jyethi
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Khillare
authors.forename: Sayantan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarkar
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons