title: Modelling benzo[a]pyrene in air and vegetation for different land uses and assessment of increased health risk in the Iberian Peninsula.
abstract: The ability of the modelling system WRF + CHIMERE implemented with high spatial and temporal resolution over the Iberian Peninsula (IP) to represent the levels of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in air and vegetation was tested in areas where different land uses are observed. Biomonitoring data available on the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in pine needles from the IP were used to estimate the atmospheric concentrations of BaP and, at the same time, fuelled the comparison of the vegetation representations given by the model. A total of 70 sites were sampled, including urban, industrial, rural and remote locations, which revealed different performances of the method for air and vegetation concentrations of BaP. The validation of this chemistry transport model (CTM) was complemented with the data available from the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) air sampling network. This, in association with a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) method, allowed the estimation of the increased risk of lung cancer due to exposure to BaPs in the IP for three target values set by the European Union.
authors.affiliation: Physics of the Earth, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Edificio CIOyN, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain. nrneto@fe.up.pt.|LEPABE-DEQ, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal. nrneto@fe.up.pt.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ratola
authors.affiliation: Physics of the Earth, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Edificio CIOyN, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Guerrero
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D028223:Pinus / Q000737:chemistry*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene
keywords: Biomonitoring; Human health; Land use; Modelling; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons