Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Temporal and spatial variability of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocabons in Bogota, Colombia

  • Published:
Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We have assessed diurnal profiles of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pPAHs) in Bogota, Colombia using photoelectric aerosol sensors (PAS). PAS instruments were located close to a congested avenue to assess exposure to pedestrians, bike riders, drivers, and passengers. PAS signals during weekdays were significantly larger than during weekends, observing a similar pattern to traffic. During two different periods of analysis, it was found that meteorological conditions drive differences in PAS concentrations. An aethalometer was collocated with one PAS device to observe the relationship between PAS signals and black carbon (BC) concentration. We found a significant correlation between PAS signals and BC, suggesting that pPAHs and BC are products of the same source. Two PAS devices were located at different heights to assess vertical dispersion of pollutants. Our results suggest that pPAH loadings may diminish with height possibly due to a street canyon effect in the area. An assessment of exposure indicates that during rush hours, people are exposed to particulate matter enriched with pPAHs emitted from mobile sources. Measures should be implemented to reduce emission from vehicles on the road in order to protect public health.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andreae MO, Gelencsér A (2006) Black carbon or brown carbon? The nature of light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols. Atmos Chem Phys 6:3131–3148. doi:10.5194/acp-6-3131-2006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aral M (2010) Environmental modeling and health risk analysis (ACTS/RISK). Springer, Atlanta

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Arciniegas A, Rodriguez C, Pachon J, Sarmiento H, Hernandez LJ (2006) Estudio de la morbilidad en niños menores a 5 anos por enfermedad respiratoria aguda y su relación con la concentración de partículas en una zona industrial de la ciudad de Bogotá. Acta Nov 3:147–154

    Google Scholar 

  • ATSDR (2005) Toxicology profile for polyaromatic hydrocarbons. ATSDR’s Toxicological Profiles on CD-ROM, CRC Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Baek SO, Field RA, Goldstone ME, Kirk PW, Lester JN, Perry R (1991) A review of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: sources, fate and behavior. Water Air Soil Pollut 60:279–300, LA – English. doi: 10.1007/BF00282628

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baker J, Walker HL, Cai X (2004) A study of the dispersion and transport of reactive pollutants in and above street canyons—a large eddy simulation. Atmos Environ 38:6883–6892. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.08.051

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brachtl MV, Durant JL, Perez CP, Oviedo J, Sempertegui F, Naumova EN, Griffiths JK (2009) Spatial and temporal variations and mobile source emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Quito, Ecuador. Environ Pollut 157:528–536. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2008.09.041

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burtscher H (2005) Physical characterization of particulate emissions from diesel engines: a review. J Aerosol Sci 36:896–932. doi:10.1016/j.jaerosci.2004.12.001

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chan AT, Au WTW, So ESP (2003) Strategic guidelines for street canyon geometry to achieve sustainable street air quality—part II: multiple canopies and canyons. Atmos Environ 37:2761–2772. doi:10.1016/S1352-2310(03)00252-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng Y, Lee SC, Ho KF, Chow JC, Watson JG, Louie PKK, Cao JJ, Hai X (2010) Chemically-speciated on-road PM2.5 motor vehicle emission factors in Hong Kong. Sci Total Environ 408:1621–1627. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.11.061

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng Y, Ho KF, Wu WJ, Ho SSH, Lee SC, Huang Y, Zhang YW, Yau PS, Gao Y, Chan CS (2012) Real-time characterization of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at a heavily trafficked roadside site. Aerosol Air Qual Res 12:1181–1188

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chetwittayachan T, Shimazaki D, Yamamoto K (2002) A comparison of temporal variation of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pPAHs) concentration in different urban environments: Tokyo, Japan, and Bangkok, Thailand. Atmos Environ 36:2027–2037. doi:10.1016/S1352-2310(02)00099-7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Congreso de la Republica Colombia (2008) Ley 1205 de 2008, por medio de la cual se mejora la calidad de vida a través de la calidad del diésel y se dictan otras disposiciones. Available at: http://web.presidencia.gov.co/leyes/2008/julio/ley120514072008.pdf. Accessed Jan 2014

  • Dahmann D, Mosimann T, Matter U (2000) Validation of online sensors for monitoring occupational exposures from diesel engines. J Aerosol Sci 31:21–22. doi:10.1016/S0021-8502(00)90027-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DANE Departamento Nacional de Estadisticas (2013) Proyecciones nacionales y departamentales de población 2005–2020. Estudios Postcensales, Bogota, Colombia

  • Dickhut RM, Canuel EA, Gustafson KE, Liu K, Arzayus KM, Walker SE, Edgecombe G, Gaylor MO, MacDonald EH (2000) Automotive sources of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with particulate matter in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Environ Sci Technol 34:4635–4640. doi:10.1021/es000971e

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dockery DW, Pope CA, Xu XP, Spengler JD, Ware JH, Fay ME, Ferris BG, Speizer FE (1993) An assocation between air-pollution and mortality in six U.S. cities. N Engl J Med 329:1753–1759

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Duboswky S, Wallace L, Buckley TJ (1999) The contribution of traffic to indoor concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol 9:312–321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunbar JC, Lin C-I, Vergucht I, Wong J, Durant JL (2001) Estimating the contributions of mobile sources of PAH to urban air using real-time PAH monitoring. Sci Total Environ 279:1–19

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • EcoChem (2000) Photoelectric aerosol sensor PAS 2000CE user’s guide. EcoChem Analytics, League City

    Google Scholar 

  • Fandiño M, Behrentz E (2009) Actualización del inventario de emisiones de fuentes fijas para la ciudad de Bogotá, a través de mediciones directas. PhD Thesis. Universidad de Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia. Available at: https://biblioteca.uniandes.edu.co/Tesis_12009_primer_semestre/525.pdf. Accessed Jan 2014

  • Galarneau E (2008) Source specificity and atmospheric processing of airborne PAHs: ımplications for source apportionment. Atmos Environ 42:8139–8149. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.07.025

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guerrero O, Jimenez R (2012) Mutual information in the air quality monitoring network of Bogotá—Colombia. AGU Fall Meet. 2012, San Fr. December 3–7

  • Hanedar A, Alp K, Kaynak B, Baek J, Avsar E, Odman MT (2011) Concentrations and sources of PAHs at three stations in Istanbul, Turkey. Atmos Res 99:391–399. doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2010.11.017

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hernandez et al. (2009) Asociacion entre la contaminación del aire y la morbilidad por enfermedad respiratoria aguada en menores de 5 anos en tres localidades de Bogotá. Proc. 2nd Colomb. Meet. Int. Conf. Air, Qual. Public Heal, Cartagena, Colombia

  • Hitzenberger R, Petzold A, Bauer H, Ctyroky P, Pouresmaeil P, Laskus L, Puxbaum H (2006) Intercomparison of thermal and optical measurement methods for elemental carbon and black carbon at an urban location. Environ Sci Technol 40:6377–6383. doi:10.1021/es051228v

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ho KF, Ho SSH, Lee SC, Cheng Y, Chow JC, Watson JG, Louie PKK, Tian L (2009) Emissions of gas- and particle-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Shing Mun Tunnel, Hong Kong. Atmos Environ 43:6343–6351. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2009.09.025

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoshiko T, Pachon JE, Sarmiento H, Molina F, Riveros C, Prueksasit T, Rahman M, Yamashita K (2013) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons levels and temporal variations in tropical countries: Colombia, Thailand and Bangladesh. Proc. 4th Colomb. Meet. Int. Conf. Air Qual. Public Heal

  • IDEAM (2010) Segunda Comunicación Nacional ante la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático. Bogota, Colombia

  • Jeong C-H, Hopke PK, Kim E, Lee D-W (2004) The comparison between thermal-optical transmittance elemental carbon and aethalometer black carbon measured at multiple monitoring sites. Atmos Environ 38:5193–5204

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Laden F, Neas LM, Dockery DW, Schwartz J (2000) Association of fine particulate matter from different sources with daily mortality in six U.S. Cities. Environ Health Perspect 108:941–947

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lenters V, Uiterwaal CS, Beelen R, Bots ML, Fischer P, Brunekreef B, Hoek G (2010) Long-term exposure to air pollution and vascular damage in young adults. Epidemiology 21:512–520. doi:10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181dec3a7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Z, Sjodin A, Porter EN, Patterson DG Jr, Needham LL, Lee S, Russell AG, Mulholland JA (2009) Characterization of PM2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Atlanta. Atmos Environ 43:1043–1050. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.11.016

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marr LC, Grogan LA, Wöhrnschimmel H, Molina LT, Molina MJ, Smith TJ, Garshick E (2004) Vehicle traffic as a source of particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area. Environ Sci Technol 38:2584–2592. doi:10.1021/es034962s

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martuzevicius D, Kliucininkas L, Prasauskas T, Krugly E, Kauneliene V, Strandberg B (2011) Resuspension of particulate matter and PAHs from street dust. Atmos Environ 45:310–317. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.10.026

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oke TR (1988) Street design and urban canopy layer climate. Energy Build 11:103–113. doi:10.1016/0378-7788(88)90026-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng RD, Bell ML, Geyh AS, McDermott A, Zeger SL, Samet JM, Dominici F (2009) Emergency admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and the chemical composition of fine particle air pollution. Environ Health Perspect 117:957–963. doi:10.1289/ehp.0800185

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Polidori A, Hu S, Biswas S, Delfino RJ, Sioutas C (2008) Real-time characterization of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient aerosols and from motor-vehicle exhaust. Atmos Chem Phys 8:1277–1291. doi:10.5194/acp-8-1277-2008

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pope CA, Dockery DW, Schwartz J (1995) Review of epidemiological evidence of health-effects of particulate air-pollution. Inhal Toxicol 7:1–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rodríguez P, Behrentz E (2009) Actualización del inventario de emisiones de fuentes móviles para la ciudad de Bogotá, a través de mediciones directas. Universidad de Los Andes Colombia. Available at: https://biblioteca.uniandes.edu.co/Tesis_12009_primer_semestre/525.pdf. Accessed January 2014

  • Rojas N and Peñaloza N (2010) Distribución espacial y temporal del inventario de emisiones provenientes de las fuentes móviles y fijas de la ciudad de Bogotá. Master Thesis. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Bogota. Available at: http://www.bdigital.unal.edu.co/3903/1/nelsoneduardopenalozapabon.2010.pdf. Accessed Jan 2014

  • Sapkota A, Buckley TJ (2003) The mobile source effect on curbside 1,3-butadiene, benzene, and particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons assessed at a tollbooth. J Air Waste Manage Assoc 53:740–748. doi:10.1080/10473289.2003.10466212

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SDA Secretaria de Ambiente de Bogota (2010) Plan decenal de descontaminación del aire para Bogota. Available at: http://ambientebogota.gov.co/plan-decenal-de-descontaminacion-del-aire-para-bogota. Accessed January 2014

  • SDM Secretaria de Movilidad de Bogota (2011) Evaluación de alternativas de modificación a la medida de restricción del tránsito de vehículos particulares “Pico y placa”. Available at: http://www.movilidadbogota.gov.co/hiwebx_archivos/audio_y_video/ESTUDIO%20TECNICO%20PICO%20Y%20PLACA.PDF. Accessed January 2014

  • Solarte I (1999) Contaminación atmosférica y Enfermedad Respiratoria Aguda en menores de 14 años en Bogotá. Universidad Javeriana, Bogota

  • Strukova and Sanchez (2011) Environmental health in Colombia: an economic assessment of health effects. World Bank, Washington DC (In Spanish)

  • Valerio F, Lazzarotto A (1985) Photochemical degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in real and laboratory conditions. Int J Environ Anal Chem 23:135–151. doi:10.1080/03067318508076440

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Velasco E, Siegmann P, Siegmann HC (2004) Exploratory study of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in different environments of Mexico City. Atmos Environ 38:4957–4968. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.05.020

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace L (2005) Real-time measurements of black carbon ındoors and outdoors: a comparison of the photoelectric aerosol sensor and the aethalometer. Aerosol Sci Technol 39:1015–1025. doi:10.1080/02786820500365363

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson NK, Chuang JC, Lyu C, Menton R, Morgan MK (2003) Aggregate exposures of nine preschool children to persistent organic pollutants at day care and at home. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol 13:187–202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Helver Reyes and Sergio Hernandez at the Colombian Ministry of Environment for their help in setting up and operating the instruments at the MADS building. This project was funded by the Global Center of Excellence Program (GCOE) of the Center for Sustainable Urban Regeneration (cSUR) from the University of Tokyo and the School of Engineering at Universidad de La Salle in Bogota. We also thank the anonymous reviewers who made important contributions to improve this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Engineering Program, University of La Salle, Carrera 2a #10-70 Bloque A, Piso 6o, Bogota, Colombia

    Jorge E. Pachon & Hugo Sarmiento

  2. Department of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Tomomi Hoshiko

Authors
  1. Jorge E. Pachon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hugo Sarmiento
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tomomi Hoshiko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jorge E. Pachon.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pachon, J.E., Sarmiento, H. & Hoshiko, T. Temporal and spatial variability of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocabons in Bogota, Colombia. Air Qual Atmos Health 7, 567–576 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-014-0259-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-014-0259-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation