Risk assessment of non-dietary exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) via house PM₂.₅, TSP and dust and the implications from human hair

To evaluate the cancer risk due to non-dietary PAHs exposure in home environment (inhalation and ingestion), exposure to fine particles (PM_2.5) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of PM_2.5, total suspend particles (TSP) and dust in homes at two urban centers of Pearl River Delta were assessed. House PM_2.5 bound PAHs in Guangzhou (GZ) ranged from 10.0 to 61.9 ng m⁻³ and 0.72 to 8.15 ng m⁻³ in Hong Kong (HK). PAH profiles found in PM_2.5, TSP and dust were different than that in hair (dominated by Nap and Phe). Pyr and Flu in house dust significantly correlated with that in hair (r = 0.69; 0.55, p < 0.05) but no correlation was found between PAHs in hair and PM_2.5. High correlation coefficients (r² = 0.97/0.95, p < 0.01) were noted between dibenzo(a,h)anthracene (DBA) and Toxicity Equivalent Concentrations (TEQs) of dust and PM_2.5. The lung cancer risks based on PM_2.5 bound PAHs exposure in houses of GZ (10⁻⁵–10⁻⁴) were significantly higher than those of HK (10⁻⁶–10⁻⁵), which were also significantly higher than the cancer risks associated with house dust intake (10⁻⁷–10⁻⁵) in GZ. PAHs exposure via non-dietary route (PM_2.5 and dust) was found to be 1–3 times higher than fish consumption for children and contributed to 52–76% of total PAHs intake for children and 24–50% for adults in GZ. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.