title: PAHs in the urban air of Sarajevo: levels, sources, day/night variation, and human inhalation risk.
abstract: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic pollutants derived from pyrolysis and pyrosynthesis processes. Industrial activity, motor vehicle emission, and domestic combustion are the main sources of PAHs in the urban atmosphere. In this work, samples collected during the day and night in the urban area of Sarajevo are analyzed separately for gaseous and particle-bound PAHs; the possible origin of PAHs at the receptor site was suggested using different methods applied to the solid phase and to the total PAHs (gaseous + particulate phase). Finally, the risk level in Sarajevo associated to the carcinogenic character of the studied PAHs has been assessed. The result of this study suggests that (a) the total PAH concentrations were higher than those reported in other European cities; (b) the PAH daytime concentrations are higher than nocturnal concentrations: the sum of the PAH day/night ratios is 1.52 (gas) and 1.45 (particle phase); (c) stationary combustion and traffic were suggested to be the main sources of PAHs; (d) the average particle-bound benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) concentration (5.4 ng/m(3)) is higher than EU target annual value (1 ng/m(3)); and (e) PAH cancer risk exceeds the carcinogenic benchmark level recommended by the EPA mainly due to BaP during both the day and night periods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, 30123, Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Pieri
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arruti
authors.forename: Jasna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huremovic
authors.forename: Jasmina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sulejmanovic
authors.forename: Alisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Selovic
authors.forename: Dragana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ðorđević
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fernández-Olmo
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gambaro
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry; D017522:Bosnia and Herzegovina; D002947:Cities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons