Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Urban and Suburban Atmospheres in Central China: Spatiotemporal Patterns, Source Implications, and Health Risk Assessment

Abstract

: Ambient aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs) are hazardous air pollutants and the main precursors of ozone (O3). In this study, the characteristics of ambient AHs were investigated at an urban site (Ziyang, ZY) and a suburban site (Jiangxia, JX) in Wuhan, Central China, in 2017. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was used to investigate the sources of AHs, and a health risk assessment was applied to estimate the effects of AHs on human health. The concentrations of total AHs at ZY (2048 ± 1364 pptv) were comparable (p > 0.05) to that (2023 ± 1015 pptv) at JX. Source apportionment results revealed that vehicle exhaust was the dominant source of both, total AHs, and toluene, contributing 51.9 ± 13.1% and 49.3 ± 9.5% at ZY, and 44.7 ± 12.6% and 43.2 ± 10.2% at JX, respectively. Benzene was mainly emitted from vehicle exhaust at ZY (50.2 ± 15.5%), while it was mainly released from biomass and coal burning sources at JX (50.6 ± 16.7%). The health risk assessment results indicated that AHs did not have a significant non-carcinogenic risk, while the carcinogenic risks of benzene exceeded the regulatory limits set by the USEPA for adults (1 × 10−6) at both sites. Hence, controlling the emissions of vehicular and biomass/coal burning sources will be an effective way to reduce ambient AHs and the health risk of benzene exposure in this region. These findings will enhance our knowledge of ambient AHs in Central China and be helpful for local governments to formulate air pollution control strategies.

Observations of volatile organic and sulfur compounds in ambient air and health risk assessment near a paper mill in rural Idaho, U. S. A.

“…There also may have been an industrial emission contribution. For reference, concentrations of benzene in the LCV were slightly higher than comparable rural areas in Canada ( You et al, 2008 ) but lower than suburban areas in China ( Zeng et al, 2019 ), which ranged from 0.1 to 0.2 μg/m 3 to 1.5 μg/m 3 , respectively.…”

“…There was an updated national inventory of HAPs that concluded the total risk of cancers from these substances was 33 × 10 −6 for all cancers ( US EPA, 2014 ). Differences in risk would be expected in rural and urban areas, but a study in China that looked at VOCs and health risks had about the same cancer risk at urban vs suburban sites of about 2 × 10 −6 ( Zeng et al, 2019 ).…”

Role of Secondary Organic Matter on Soot Particle Toxicity in Reconstituted Human Bronchial Epithelia Exposed at the Air–Liquid Interface

“…The α-pinene is one of the most significant monoterpenes which, together with isoprene, are of great importance for atmospheric chemistry . Mesitylene is an important anthropogenic VOC, released in the atmosphere through biomass and coal burning, use of solvents in industry, and diesel and (to a lesser extent) gasoline exhaust . The VOC concentration was controlled by adjusting the flow of zero-air through the VOC container (cylindrical gas bubbler) using a mass flow controller (V-red-y Compact with hand valve, 1–100 mL/min, Vögtlin, Switzerland).…”

Characterizing the Performance of a Compact BTEX GC-PID for Near-Real Time Analysis and Field Deployment

“…Ethylbenzene has been classified as a possible carcinogen, while toluene and xylene isomers can cause damage to the brain and central nervous system with long term exposure [ 10 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. BTEX is ubiquitous in the environment at trace levels ranging from sub-ppb to tens of ppb in urban and industrial areas where atmospheric mixing ratios are higher [ 4 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Although ambient atmospheric BTEX levels have dropped due to reformulation of gasoline [ 23 ], there is evidence of an increase of emissions from oil and natural gas operations [ 24 , 25 ].…”