Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with atmospheric particles represent a significant risk to human health. This issue is even more relevant in environments where biomass combustion processes are considered as the major potential emission sources, such as the rural ecosystem. This study aimed to assess the levels of PM10-bound PAHs in several rural locations, their distribution along a year and how weather variables could influence them. Also, we focused on the emission sources and the comparison of the PAH mixtures to assess similitude among the sampling points. PM10-bound PAHs levels were monitored at three rural locations (north, center, and south) of Spain between April 2017 and February 2018. The study revealed that there were substantial differences regarding the levels of ΣPAHs, being higher in the central zone (IS; 65.4 mg/m3), then in the south (VA; 35.8 ng/m3) and finally in the north (NA; 20.9 ng/m3). IS and VA showed a similar distribution of emission sources, and temperature and wind speed seemed to influence negatively over the levels of PAHs likely. At both locations, PAH levels ran parallel throughout the year, with maximum levels during cold seasons and a greater presence of high molecular weight PAHs; however, the levels of PAHs and the most representative PAHs differed. On the other hand, NA was characterized for having another distribution of emission sources, which determined other representative PAHs, higher levels during spring, and a similar presence of high/medium/low molecular weight. Finally, the levels of ambient air PAHs represented an acceptable risk to people.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the General Direction of Quality and Environmental Sustainability (Junta de Castilla y León), General Direction of Environmental Quality and Climate Change (Gobierno del Principado de Asturias), General Direction of Environmental Quality and Climate Change (Junta de Andalucía) and Department of Atmospheric Pollution of the National Center for Environment Health for their collaboration and assistance in the samples collection.
Funding
This work was supported by the Health Institute Carlos III (AESI Project: SPY 1357/16), as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Project: SEG 109/15).
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David Galán conducted the validation process of the analytical method and performed the statistical analyses of the dataset. David Galán and Jesús Pablo García evaluated the results, wrote and discussed the manuscript. Regina Muñoz and June Mérida conducted the analytical experiments. Saúl García conducted a critical reading of the manuscript.
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Galán-Madruga, D., Ubeda, R.M., Terroba, J.M. et al. Influence of the products of biomass combustion processes on air quality and cancer risk assessment in rural environmental (Spain). Environ Geochem Health 44, 2595–2613 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-021-01052-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-021-01052-4