You are here:
PERSONAL EXPOSURE TO FINE PARTICLE POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS: OUTDOOR SOURCE TRACERS
Citation:
Lewtas, J, R W. Williams, AND S. Wise. PERSONAL EXPOSURE TO FINE PARTICLE POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS: OUTDOOR SOURCE TRACERS. Presented at PM 2000 AWMA Conference, Charleston, SC, January 24-28, 2000.
Description:
The most carcinogenic and toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are the 4-5 ring PAH found preferentially adsorbed to the fine particles (<2.54u in urban ambient air and personal air. Personal exposure to the carcinogenic particle bound PAH is also highly correlated with personal exposure to fine particles. Although combustion sources all emit PAH, it has long been recognized that PAH source profiles are characteristic of different sources. The underlying hypothesis of this study is that PAH profiles of personal exposure could serve as tracers of exposure to outdoor sources of particles, specifically combustion sources. This study examines the particulate PAH profile of personal exposures in three populations in the US, Japan, and Czech Republic (CZ) exposed to different PAH sources. Personal PAH profiles are compared to profiles of the major air pollution emission sources found in different geographic areas. benzo[ghi]perylene (BghiP) is identified as a source tracer for gasoline engine exhaust, a source found only in outdoor air, tunnels, and parking garages.
This work has been funded in part by the United States Protection Agency and has been subjected to Agency review and approved for publication.