title: Assessment of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in preschool children: Levels and impact of preschool indoor air on excretion of main urinary monohydroxyl metabolites.
abstract: The present work aimed to assess exposure of preschool children to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by environmental monitoring (eighteen compounds in air) and biomonitoring (six urinary biomarkers of exposure (OH-PAHs)). The impact of preschool indoor air on excretion of urinary monohydroxyl metabolites was also evaluated. Gaseous and particulate-bound PAHs were simultaneously collected indoors and outdoors in two Portuguese preschools. PAHs and OH-PAHs were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence and photodiode array detection. Total air (gaseous+total suspended particles) levels of PAHs (ΣPAHs) were higher indoors than outdoors. Gaseous phase (composed by ≥98% of 2-3 rings compounds) and particulate-bound PAHs (90-99% of 5-6 rings) accounted for 93-95% and 5-7% of ΣPAHs in indoor air, respectively. Total (including probable/possible) carcinogenic PAHs represented 26-45% of ΣPAHs; naphthalene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene were the strongest contributors. A similar distribution profile was observed between airborne PAHs and urinary OH-PAHs. Urinary 1-hydroxynaphthalene+1-hydroxyacenaphthene represented more than 78% of ΣOH-PAHs, being followed by 2-hydroxyfluorene, 1-hydroxypyrene, and 1-hydroxyphenanthrene. 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (PAH biomarker of carcinogenicity) was not detected. Results suggest that children had preschool indoor air as their major exposure source of naphthalene and acenaphthene, while no conclusion was reached regarding fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene.
authors: REQUIMTE-LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida 431, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal; LEPABE, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, R. Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
authors: Marta
authors: M
authors: Oliveira
authors: REQUIMTE-LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida 431, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal; LEPABE, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, R. Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
authors: Klara
authors: K
authors: Slezakova
authors: REQUIMTE-LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida 431, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal.
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Delerue-Matos
authors: LEPABE, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, R. Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: do Carmo Pereira
authors: REQUIMTE-LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida 431, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: sbm@isep.ipp.pt.
authors: Simone
authors: S
authors: Morais
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000652:urine*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
keywords: Children exposure; Diagnostic ratios; Indoor/outdoor ratios; Monitoring and biomonitoring; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)