Cancer risk assessment of human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) via indoor and outdoor dust based on probit model

Abstract

In the present study, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in indoor dust and outdoor dust including road and window dust around the traffic road in Hunan Province, China, were sampled and detected. The ∑PAHs in indoor dust ranged from 5007–24,236 ng g⁻¹, with a median of 14,049 ng g⁻¹. The ∑PAHs in road dust ranged from 3644–12,875 ng g⁻¹, with a median of 10,559 ng g⁻¹. The ∑PAHs in window dust ranged from 803–12,590 ng g⁻¹, with a median of 5459 ng g⁻¹. Similar pattern of PAHs was observed in road and window dust except in H3W and H4W samples, which was dominated by naphthalene (Nap), benzo(b+k)fluoranthene (B(b+k)F), phenanthrene (Phe), and fluorine (Fle). Indoor dust showed slightly different PAHs profiles, which was dominated by Nap, fluoranthene (Fla) and Phe. Risk assessment indicated that dermal contact and dust ingestion exposure pathways were more important than the inhalation pathway. Cancer risk of PAHs via dust varied from 2.73 × 10⁻⁸–8.04 × 10⁻⁶, with a median of 2.06 × 10⁻⁶ for children, and from 2 × 10⁻⁸–5.89 × 10⁻⁶, with a median of 1.52 × 10⁻⁶ for adult. Probit model showed that 76 and 71 % of samples in the sampling area would result in the risk of children and adult exposure to PAHs via dust higher than the acceptable level (1 × 10⁻⁶), respectively.