Assessment of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in preschool children: Levels and impact of preschool indoor air on excretion of main urinary monohydroxyl metabolites

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2017

Authors

Marta Oliveira (Author) Other; Klara Slezakova (Author) FEUP; Cristina Delerue Matos (Author) Other; Simone Morais (Author) Other; Maria do Carmo Pereira (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Hazardous Materials

Vol. 322 No. Part B

Pages: 357-369

ISSN: 0304-3894

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 43 Citations

Scopus - 42 Citations

Scientific classification

CORDIS: Health sciences

Associated Projects

LEPABE - Laboratório de Engenharia de Processos, Ambiente, Biotecnologia e Energia

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00M-69J

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.10.004

Abstract (EN): The present work aimed to assess exposure of preschool children to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by environmental monitoring (eighteen compounds in air) and biomonitoring (six urinary biomarkers of exposure (OH-PAHs)). The impact of preschool indoor air on excretion of urinary mono hydroxyl metabolites was also evaluated. Gaseous and particulate-bound PAHs were simultaneously collected indoors and outdoors in two Portuguese preschools. PAHs and OH-PAHs were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence and photodiode array detection. Total air (gaseous + total suspended particles) levels of PAHs (Sigma PAHs) were higher indoors than outdoors. Gaseous phase (composed by >= 98% of 2-3 rings compounds) and particulate-bound PAHs (90-99% of 5-6 rings) accounted for 93-95% and 5-7% of Sigma PAHs in indoor air, respectively. Total (including probable/possible) carcinogenic PAHs represented 26-45% of Sigma PAHs; naphthalene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene were the strongest contributors. A similar distribution profile was observed between airborne PAHs and urinary OH-PAHs. Urinary 1-hydroxynaphthalene + 1-hydroxyacenaphthene represented more than 78% of Sigma OH-PAHs, being followed by 2-hydroxyfluorene, 1-hydroxypyrene, and 1-hydroxyphenanthrene. 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (PAH biomarker of carcinogenicity) was not detected. Results suggest that children had preschool indoor air as their major exposure source of naphthalene and acenaphthene, while no conclusion was reached regarding fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 13