Risk assessments of PAHs and Hg exposure via settled house dust and street dust, linking with their correlations in human hair.
Domestic energy, chemicals bioaccessibility and particle size were found as three critical factors for risk assessment of PAHs exposure via settled house dust (SHD) and street dust. ∑PAHs and Hg contained in SHD were significantly (p<0.01) higher in coal-burning households of Qingyang (8.45-121; 0.48-16.4 μg g(-1)) than households in Guangzhou (1.23-22.2; 0.004-10.6 μg g(-1)) and 90% coal-burning houses were estimated with unacceptable cancer risks (>10(-4)) via SHD exposure. The highest accumulation trend of PAHs and Hg were found in <63 μm particles, and different particle sizes resulted in large variations of the obtained risks (up to 10 fold). Bioaccessibility corrected PAHs led to a significant decrease on related cancer risks and decreased in the order of 1.9, 1.1, 0.6 and 0.4 μg g(-1) with the increase of particle sizes (<63, 63-100, 100-280, 280-2000 μm). Scalp hair was tested as an indicator of body burdens of PAHs (0.05-0.9 μg g(-1)) and Hg (0.04-1.6 μg g(-1)). Different PAHs profiles were found between PAHs in SHD and those of hair, indicating that exogenous exposure to PAHs adsorbed on dust was not the major source of hair PAHs.
Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences, and Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, PR China.
Wei
W
Wang
Fuyong
F
Wu
Jinshu
J
Zheng
Ming Hung
MH
Wong
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D003031:Coal; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006197:Hair / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D008875:Middle Aged; D010316:Particle Size; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D011786:Quality Control; D018570:Risk Assessment; D055815:Young Adult
D000393:Air Pollutants; D003031:Coal; D004391:Dust; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D008628:Mercury
Bioaccessible PAHs; Coal-burning household; Hg; Particle size; Risk assessment; Settled house dust