Effects of carbonaceous materials and particle size on oral and inhalation bioaccessibility of PAHs and OPEs in airborne particles

Abstract

Bioavailability of environmental contaminants is attracting considerable scienti c attention due to growing awareness of its importance for risk assessment. In this study, potential factors governing bioaccessibility of airborne particles-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organophosphorus esters (OPEs) in stimulated gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts were elucidated.Particle concentrations of PAHs and OPEs at the eight sites were 2.4−32.3 ng/m 3 and 1.6−19.9 ng/m 3 , respectively. In ne particles (with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm), 4-to 6-ring PAHs were more strongly correlated with organic carbon (OC) than elemental carbon (EC); while 3-and 4-ring PAHs in coarse particles (2.5−10 µm) tended to associate with EC. OPEs mostly showed signi cant correlations with EC in both ne and coarse particles. OC and EC exerted a signi cantly restraining effect on the oral and inhalation bioaccessibility of most HOCs in ne particles due to sorption of HOC molecules to these components. Furthermore, the effects varied, which could depend either on the emission sources (for oral bioaccessibility of PAHs) or the physicochemical properties of HOCs (for bioaccessibility of OPEs and inhalation bioaccessibility of PAHs). Linear regression indicated that EC should play a more important role in the inhalation bioaccessibility than the oral bioaccessibility. Particle size of airborne particles is a relatively less signi cant factor determining the bioaccessibility.

Nanostructure Modified Electrodes for Electrochemical Detection of Contaminants of Emerging Concern

“…The World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer have both declared that there is sufficient evidence to classify outdoor air pollution as a human carcinogen, specifically a cause of lung cancer. Particulate Matters, a significant contributor to ambient air pollution, were subjected to independent assessment and were found to also be human carcinogen [43,44].…”

“…Bioavailability is more affected by organic carbon or elemental carbon than by particle size. Furthermore, the influence of carbonaceous materials depends on the physicochemical properties or emission sources of HOCs [44].…”