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Risk assessment of inhalation exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in school children

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Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with the inhalable fraction of particulate matter were determined for 1 year (2009–2010) at a school site located in proximity of industrial and heavy traffic roads in Delhi, India. PM10 (aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm) levels were ∼11.6 times the World Health Organization standard. Vehicular (59.5 %) and coal combustion (40.5 %) sources accounted for the high levels of PAHs (range 38.1–217.3 ng m−3) with four- and five-ring PAHs having ∼80 % contribution. Total PAHs were dominated by carcinogenic species (∼75 %) and B[a]P equivalent concentrations indicated highest exposure risks during winter. Extremely high daily inhalation exposure of PAHs was observed during winter (439.43 ng day−1) followed by monsoon (232.59 ng day−1) and summer (171.08 ng day−1). Daily inhalation exposure of PAHs to school children during a day exhibited the trend school hours > commuting to school > resting period in all the seasons. Vehicular source contributions to daily PAH levels were significantly correlated (r = 0.94, p < 0.001) with the daily inhalation exposure level of school children. A conservative estimate of ∼11 excess cancer cases in children during childhood due to inhalation exposure of PAHs has been made for Delhi.

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Acknowledgments

Fellowship awarded by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to DSJ is duly acknowledged. The permission given by Kulachi Hansraj Model School, New Delhi to use the school building for operating the air sampler is acknowledged. The authors are thankful to the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions.

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  1. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Laboratory, Room No. 325, School of Environmental Sciences, 1Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India

    Darpa Saurav Jyethi & P. S. Khillare

  2. Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, 12237, USA

    Sayantan Sarkar

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  1. Darpa Saurav Jyethi
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Correspondence to P. S. Khillare.

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Jyethi, D.S., Khillare, P.S. & Sarkar, S. Risk assessment of inhalation exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in school children. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 366–378 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1912-6

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