Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban environments: Health risk assessment by age groups

•High concentrations of particle-bound PAHs were found during wintertime.•Temperature, humidity and wind speed were significant modifiers of PAH levels.•BaP and Nap contributed the most to carcinogenic health risk all over the year.•Exposure to total PAHs exceeded the carcinogenic benchmark level early in childhood.

A detailed investigation was conducted into the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with PM10 particles collected during 2012 in an urban area in Cordoba, Argentina. Their composition was studied and the lifetime lung cancer risk resulting from exposure to total and individual PAHs was estimated. Samples of PM10 were collected daily on fiber glass filters with PAHs being extracted with methylene chloride and analyzed by HPLC. Mean PAH concentrations were higher during autumn and winter. In contrast, during warm months, high ambient temperature and wind speed contributed to a decrease in the PAH ambient concentrations. The PAH levels found in the present study were within the range of those reported in other polluted urban areas. However risk factors calculated for exposure to individual and cumulative PAHs exceeded the carcinogenic benchmark level of 1 × 10−6 early in childhood, implying that these PAH concentrations represent a serious risk to public health.

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