Inhalation Bioaccessibility and Risk Assessment of Metals in PM2.5 Based on a Multiple-Path Particle Dosimetry Model in the Smelting District of Northeast China

Abstract

PM2.5 can deposit and partially dissolve in the pulmonary region. In order to be consistent with the reality of the pulmonary region and avoid overestimating the inhalation human health risk, the bioaccessibility of PM2.5 heavy metals and the deposition fraction (DF) urgently needs to be considered. This paper simulates the bioaccessibility of PM2.5 heavy metals in acidic intracellular and neutral extracellular deposition environments by simulating lung fluid. The multipath particle dosimetry model was used to simulate DF of PM2.5. According to the exposure assessment method of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the inhalation exposure dose threshold was calculated, and the human health risk with different inhalation exposure doses was compared. The bioaccessibility of heavy metals is 12.1–36.2%. The total DF of PM2.5 in adults was higher than that in children, and children were higher than adults in the pulmonary region, and gradually decreased with age. The inhalation exposure dose threshold is 0.04–14.2 mg·kg−1·day−1 for the non-carcinogenic exposure dose and 0.007–0.043 mg·kg−1·day−1 for the carcinogenic exposure dose. Cd and Pb in PM2.5 in the study area have a non-carcinogenic risk to human health (hazard index < 1), and Cd has no or a potential carcinogenic risk to human health. A revised inhalation health risk assessment may avoid overestimation.

Comprehensive characterization of particulate intermediate-volatility and semi-volatile organic compounds (I/SVOCs) from heavy-duty diesel vehicles using two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry

“…Unlike the inorganic portion, which has been well studied, the characterization of organic aerosol, which takes up a major faction of PM 2.5 mass, is yet to be achieved. Nevertheless, elevated PM 2.5 concentrations have been widely recognized (by epidemiologic studies) as being associated with enhanced mortality (Franklin et al, 2008;Tecer et al, 2008;Sun et al, 2022b;Faridi et al, 2022;Nguyen et al, 2022). For example, exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives via inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact is associated with an increased risk of cancer (Li et al, 2022;Sun et al, 2022a).…”