Quantification and Risk Assessment of PAHs in Street Dust from Functional Areas of Khamis- Mushait, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (ΣPAHs) were varied from 1250.41-4249.29 ng/g, with an average value of 2809.46 ng/g in street dust of Khamis-Mushait. A maximum concentration of fossil PAHs (ΣFPAHs) was recorded at incinerator and industrial areas representing 69.62% of ΣPAHs. However, the maximum concentrations of carcinogenic PAHs (ΣCARC) and combustion PAHs (ΣCOMB) were recorded at King Fahd Garden and Al-Hayat National Hospital areas, representing 41.70% and 27.46% of ΣPAHs, respectively. Naphthalene (NAP), Acenaphthylene (ACY) and Acenaphthene (ACE) were > (effective range low (ERL). However, ACE was > effective range medium (ERM), ACY, ACE, DBA(dibenzo anthracene) were > Probable Effect Level (PEL). In addition, NAP, fluoranthene (FLT), pyrene (PYR) and benzo(a)pyren (BaP) were > threshold effect level (TEL). The Hazardous indices (HI) for both children and adults were in the following order: ACE > ACY > NAP > PYR > fluorene (FLR) > FLT > benzo(ghi)perylene (BghiP) > phenanthrene (PHN) > ANT. The total HI for non-cancer risks of PAHs exposure were 2.69×10− 2 − 9.91×10− 5 and 2.50x10− 2 − 9.22×10− 4 to adults and children, respectively. These values considered safe level and insignificant non-cancer risks to adults and children. In addition, ACE may pose risk based on acute and intermediate oral exposure. The cluster analysis of dust samples declared the following order for different sources: traffic > industrial > commercial.