title: Concentrations, sources and human health risk of inhalation exposure to air toxics in Edmonton, Canada.
abstract: With concern about levels of air pollutants in recent years in the Capital Region of Alberta, an investigation of ambient concentrations, sources and potential human health risk of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) or air toxics was undertaken in the City of Edmonton over a 5-year period (2009-2013). Mean concentrations of individual HAPs in ambient air including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and trace metals ranged from 0.04 to 1.73 μg/m3, 0.01-0.54 ng/m3, and 0.05-3.58 ng/m3, respectively. Concentrations of benzene, naphthalene, benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), arsenic, manganese and nickel were far below respective annual Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk of air toxics were also compared with risk levels recommended by regulatory agencies. Positive matrix factorization identified six air toxics sources with traffic as the dominant contributor to total HAPs (4.33 μg/m3, 42%), followed by background/secondary organic aerosol (SOA) (1.92 μg/m3, 25%), fossil fuel combustion (0.92 μg/m3, 11%). On high particulate air pollution event days, local traffic was identified as the major contributor to total HAPs compared to background/SOA and fossil fuel combustion. Carcinogenic risk values of traffic, background/SOA and metals industry emissions were above the USEPA acceptable level (1 × 10-6), but below a tolerable risk (1 × 10-4) and Alberta benchmark (1 × 10-5). These findings offer useful preliminary information about current ambient air toxics levels, dominant sources and their potential risk to public health; and this information can support policy makers in the development of appropriate control strategies if required.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Alberta, 3-57 South Academic Building, 11405-87 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1C9 Canada. Electronic address: mdaynul@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Md Aynul
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bari
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Alberta, 3-57 South Academic Building, 11405-87 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1C9 Canada.
authors.forename: Warren B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Kindzierski
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000416:Alberta; D002170:Canada; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D002273:Carcinogens; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
keywords: Air toxics; Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk; Edmonton; Positive matrix factorization