Chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalateesters, parabens, siloxanes and squalene, all of them classified as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), have been reported to occur in all environmental compartments. The effects of EDCs on development, reproduction, growth, metabolism and obesity constitute a real public health issue. A list of EDCs (> 40 compounds) were characterised in total suspended particulates (outdoor soot: 92 samples) collected in July-September 2016 in an Algiers urban area; besides, settled indoor dusts (36 samples) were collected between November and December 2016 in schools, homes, manufacture and hospital of the same province. The analytical procedure consisted of ultrasonic bath extraction, column chromatography separation into fractions of different polarity and gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric processing. The total loads of phthalates ranging from 6.0 to 347 ng/m (median, 26 ng/m) were determined in indoor dust and 4.6 to 11.6 ng/m (median, 7.9 ng/m) in outdoor soot; meanwhile, PAHs ranged from 12.1 to 108 ng/m (median, 36 ng/m) in indoor dust and ranged from 5.6 to 7.7 ng/m (median 5.7 ng/m) in outdoor soot. Finally, illicit substances such as cocaine, cannabinol and Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol were found to range from 0.5 to 11 pg/m, 4.6 to 9.2 pg/m and 11 to 81 pg/m, respectively, in outdoor soot.

Daily concentrations of inorganic and organic compounds associated with PM 10 , i.e., atmospheric particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 µm, was determined at the south Mediterranean coastal area located in Bou Ismaïl, 40 km west of the Algiers city area in Algeria. From September 2011 to January 2012, chemical characterization of aerosol particles comprising water-soluble ions (WSI), trace metals, carbonaceous aerosols, the anhydrosugars levoglucosan and arabitol, dicarboxylic acids, and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), i.e., alkanes, PAHs, and hopanes, was carried out by using a variety of analytical techniques. Overall, the concentrations of selected ionic species were similar to those reported at other Mediterranean sites, ranging from 3.62 µg m-3 to 5.20 µg m-3 for the monthly total WSI. Sulfate was the most abundant ion. The total concentrations of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC) recorded in Bou Ismaïl ranged from 7.06 to 58.8 ng m-3 for n-alkanes, from 2.44 to 35.3 ng m-3 for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), from 0.14 to 1 ng m-3 for hopanes, and from 0.67 to 13.2 ng m-3 for n-alkan-2-one. In order to reconcile species concentrations and their emission sources, sampling days were grouped into two categories according to air mass origin. In the first group, the aerosol particles were mainly of a marine origin, while those of the second group originated in the dust sector. A source analysis of total contents organic compounds (PAHs, alkanes, hopanes, and alkanones) and individual inorganic compounds by spearman rank correlation illustrated that the principal sources consisted of sea salt, secondary aerosol, and biomass burning. Additionally, PM 10 constituent diagnostic ratios and the carbon preference index (CPI) for n-alkanes indicated the importance of anthropogenic emissions.

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The daily variation of organic contaminants, both gaseous and associated with suspended particulate matter, was investigated inside the National Company of Paintings estate in Lakhdaria, Algeria. Chemical characterization of particulate matter was focused on n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs and a list of highly polar organics HPOC including phthalate esters and heterocyclic compounds, that of vapours on PAHs and polychlorobiphenyls PCBs. low molecular weight compounds were associated primarily with the gas phase (2-ring PAHs, ~ 95%; 3-ring PAHs, ~ 70%), while high molecular weight congeners were mainly associated with the particle phase (6-ring PAHs, 55%). As for PCB, concentrations (0.6 ÷ 42 ng m− 3) exceeded those reported in other Algerian and European cities. The source reconciliation of organic contaminants through principal component analysis PCA demonstrated that the principal ones were petroleum combustion, industrial manufacturing, tobacco smoking and vehicular traffic. The tobacco smoke importance was further confirmed by the analysis of PAHs diagnostic ratios. The different diagnostic ratio rates of gaseous and particulate PAHs was attributed to distinct contributions of sources such as industrial processes. The health risks for workers exposed to PAHs and PCBs in PM10 were quantitatively assessed in terms of BaP equivalent concentration (BaPeq) and the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR). The ILCR associated to particulate PAHs indicated higher cancer risk for workers in the production areas, whereas that to PCBs suggested high potential health risk for laboratory workers.