title: Fine particulate-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in vehicles in Rome, Italy.
abstract: Urban commuters are exposed to elevated levels of air pollutants, especially in heavily polluted areas and traffic congested roads. In order to assess the contribution of commuting to citizens' exposure, measurements of fine particulate (PM2.5) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were carried out in cars, busses, and metro trains, within the LIFE+ EXPAH Project. Monitoring campaigns were performed in Rome, Italy, from April 2011 to August 2012. Inside the busses, the concentration of total PAHs ranged from 2.7 to 6.6 ng/m3during the winter and from 0.34 to 1.51 ng/m3in the summer. In cars, internal concentrations were in the range 2.2-7.3 and 0.46-0.82 ng/m3, respectively, in the 2-year time. Analogous differences between seasons were observed examining the benzo[a]pyrene-equivalent carcinogenicity. In the metro trains, total PAHs ranged from 1.19 to 2.35 ng/m3and PM2.5ranged from 17 to 31 μg/m3. The PM2.5concentration in all transport modes ranged from 10 to 160 μg/m3during the cold season and 15-48 μg/m3during the warm time. The average inside-to-outside ratio (RI/O) was found to exceed 1.0 for PM2.5only in busses, probably due to dust re-suspension caused by crowding and passenger activity. The molecular PAH signature suggests that vehicle emissions and biomass combustion were the major sources of commuters' exposure to these toxicants in Rome. According to linear regression analysis, the PAH concentrations inside the vehicles were linked to those detected outside. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between the in-vehicle locations and the urban pollution network stations, with higher PAH values detected, on the average, in these latter.
authors.affiliation: National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research (CNR-IIA), Via Salaria km 29.3, Monterotondo, P.O. Box 10, 00015, Rome, Italy. romagnoli@iia.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.affiliation: National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research (CNR-IIA), Via Salaria km 29.3, Monterotondo, P.O. Box 10, 00015, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Catia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balducci
authors.affiliation: National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research (CNR-IIA), Via Salaria km 29.3, Monterotondo, P.O. Box 10, 00015, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cecinato
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Hygiene, INAIL, Via F. Candida, Monte Porzio Catone, 00040, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Nunziata
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: L'Episcopo
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Hygiene, INAIL, Via F. Candida, Monte Porzio Catone, 00040, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gariazzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Hygiene, INAIL, Via F. Candida, Monte Porzio Catone, 00040, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Gatto
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Hygiene, INAIL, Via F. Candida, Monte Porzio Catone, 00040, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gordiani
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Hygiene, INAIL, Via F. Candida, Monte Porzio Catone, 00040, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gherardi
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D016014:Linear Models; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D012384:Rome; D012621:Seasons; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
keywords: Airborne particulates; In-vehicle monitoring; Indoor/outdoor concentration ratios; PM2.5; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Rome