title: Particulate-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon sources and determinants in residential homes.
abstract: Human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in indoor environments can be particularly relevant because people spend most of their time inside buildings, especially in homes. This study aimed to investigate the most important particle-bound PAH sources and exposure determinants in PM2.5samples collected in 19 homes located in northern Italy. Complementary information about ion content in PM10was also collected in 12 of these homes. Three methods were used for the identification of PAH sources and determinants: diagnostic ratios with principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses (PCA and HCA), chemical mass balance (CMB) and linear mixed models (LMMs). This combined and tiered approach allowed the infiltration of outdoor PAHs into indoor environments to be identified as the most important source in winter, with a relevant role played by biomass burning and traffic exhausts to be identified as a general source of PAHs in both seasons. Tobacco smoke exhibited an important impact on PAH levels in smokers' homes, whereas in the whole sample, cooking food and natural gas sources played a minor or negligible role. Nitrate, sulfate and ammonium were the main inorganic constituents of indoor PM10owing to the secondary formation of ammonium sulfates and nitrates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and High Technology, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, 22100, Como, Italy. Electronic address: andrea.cattaneo@uninsubria.it.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fermo
authors.affiliation: Biomedical and Clinical Science Department "L. Sacco", Università degli Studi di Milano, 20157, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Urso
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano Bicocca, 20126, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano Bicocca, 20126, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piazzalunga
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tarlassi
authors.affiliation: Biomedical and Clinical Science Department "L. Sacco", Università degli Studi di Milano, 20157, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carrer
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and High Technology, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, 22100, Como, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico Maria
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Cavallo
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D003296:Cooking; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D012621:Seasons; D012906:Smoke / Q000032:analysis; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012906:Smoke; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
keywords: Environmental tobacco smoke; Particulate matter; Polyaromatic compounds; Risk management; Vehicular traffic; Wood burning