Spatial distribution and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils from contaminated sites in Eastern China.

A total of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in 28 soil column samples from two contaminated industrial sites in Eastern China. The total concentration of 16 PAHs (∑PAHs) in the surface soil (0-20 cm) was measured up to 52,600 ng/g (dry weight basis) with a remarkable spatial difference in the studied contaminated sites. The concentrations of the ∑PAHs in soils decreased with the increase in soil depth (0-10 m). The surface and subsurface soil presented a tenfold higher concentration than the soil with depth greater than 4 m. Additionally, the vertical migration tendency of the PAHs was found to be correlated significantly with their hydrophobicity (R2 = 0.79, P < 0.01). Naphthalene (with lowest octanol-water partition coefficient among the studied PAHs) showed the greatest average soil depth at which its peak concentration occurred. Furthermore, risk quotient analysis by using benzo[a]pyrene as reference compound showed that 71.4% of the samples exhibited high ecological risk for soil. Moreover, the total carcinogenic risk of the PAHs in the surface soil samples was assessed at 5.61 × 10-5-1.28 × 10-4 and 4.41 × 10-6-9.43 × 10-5 for male and female workers, respectively, in which 67.9%-71.4% of the samples showed potential risk. Generally, these results suggest a further consideration of ecological and health risks associated with PAHs in contaminated sites in Eastern China.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in human breast milk from Colombia: Spatial occurrence, sources and probabilistic risk assessment.

The diet is the main route that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) enter the body and measuring breast milk is one of the best ways to understand the maternal body burden and can be passed on to infants. In this study, it was determinate the concentrations of 23 PAHs in 60 milk samples taken from 3 cities in Colombia and to determine the potential routes of exposure and risk to human health. On average, concentration for the ∑PAHs across all locations was 186.6 ng g-1, lipid mass (LM), with city means of 260.1, 175.7, and 123.9 ng g-1 LM for Cartagena, Bogota and Medellin, respectively. Monte Carlo simulations were used to estimate the hazard quotient (HQ) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for infant dietary exposure to PAHs. HQs were below the safe thresholds (HQ = 1) while ILCRs were greater than the reference value equal to 10-6 (mg kg-1day-1). Dietary source assessment indicated that fish is a significant source of PAHs, with mothers that consumed fish at least once per week having ∼2.5 times greater PAH milk concentrations than other groups. While a disparity was also observed among consumers of exclusively marine (∑PAHs 198.5 ng g-1 LM) or freshwater fish (∑PAHs 85.7 ng g-1 LM). However, geographical considerations can be significant in this finding.

Atmospheric chemistry and cancer risk assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Nitro-PAHs over a semi-arid site in the Indo-Gangetic plain.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Nitro-PAHs were collected over a year at a traffic dominated site in Agra, to determine the dominant partitioning mechanism. During the entire sampling period, total PAHs and Nitro-PAHs were 3465 ± 3802 and 26.1 ± 25.9 ng m-3 respectively. The gas-particle partitioning behavior of PAHs was studied by applying the Pankow model, Absorption model, and Dual model. Amongst all the partitioning models, the Dual model fits well and indicates that the partitioning of PAHs at the traffic site in Agra depends on both the physical adsorption of PAHs on the Total Suspended Particulate (TSP) surface and absorption of PAHs into the organic layer present on the TSP surface. Pankow model indicates that PAHs are emitted from the source close to the sampling point and due to this PAHs do not get enough time to get partitioned in between both the phases. Incremental lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) shows that adults and children are more prone to cancer risk in comparison to infants for both PAHs and Nitro-PAHs. Cancer risk by inhalation was minimum in comparison to both ingestion and dermal exposure. Nitro-PAHs in the particulate phase were high enough to exceed the minimum permissible limit (10-6) of causing cancer by ingestion and dermal exposure.

Use of mineral element profiling coupled with chemometric analysis to distinguish Zanthoxylum bungeanum cultivars and health risks of potentially toxic elements in pericarps.

BACKGROUND: Zanthoxylum bungeanum pericarps (ZBP) are commonly used as food additives and traditional herbal medicines. Several mineral elements are known to have important physiological functions in organisms, whereas others are reported to have toxic effects. We determined levels of macro elements (Mg, S and Ca), essential trace elements (B, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se and Mo) and toxic elements (Ni, Al, Cr, As, Cd, Hg and Pb) in the pericarps of 19 Z. bungeanum cultivars. Hazard index values and incremental lifetime cancer risks were calculated to express health risks associated with pericarp consumption. Moreover, several chemometric analyses based on the mineral elements were used to distinguish Z. bungeanum cultivars. RESULTS: The concentrations of 17 determined elements in the pericarps were ranked: Ca > Mg > S > Fe > Al > Mn > Zn > B > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr > Mo > As > Cd > Hg > Se. The elements Zn, Cr and As had the highest variations in their concentrations. Cu, Mn, Se, Zn, Al, As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni and Pb posed some non-cancer risks, while As and Cd posed cancer risks. Mn, Fe, Zn, and Al were chosen as critical element markers for assessing ZBP using chemometric analyses. CONCLUSION: Chemometric analyses could highlight mineral concentration differentiation among the 19 cultivars. The Z. bungeanum cultivar Z12 (from Wudu, Gansu) is best for producing ZBP, and cultivar Z18 (Guanling, Guizhou) can be a reference to classify and evaluate ZBP quality. The results provide valuable information for evaluating the potential safety risks of ZBP and contribute to inter-cultivar discrimination. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Dilution of concentrations of PAHs from atmospheric particles, bulk deposition to soil: a review.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are emitted to the atmosphere by various anthropogenic activities as well as natural sources, they undergo long-range transport, are degraded (e.g., by photolysis) and finally they are deposited onto the surface and potentially accumulate in topsoil. The dry deposition of particle-bound PAHs dominates the accumulation of PAHs in soil and their further fate in soil is governed by sorption/desorption from these airborne particles. This paper offers an overview on concentrations of particle-bound PAHs, the dry deposition fluxes and finally concentrations of PAHs in soil. In addition, spatial and temporal variations of PAHs are considered. The results show that concentrations of particle-bound PAHs typically range from 1 mg g-1 up to 10 mg g-1 in cities with coal-based heating in winter and in countries with coal-based industry incl. electrical power production. These values are very high and exceed the legal limits set in soils by orders of magnitude. Atmospheric deposition rates typically reach several mg m-2 a-1, but in winter, especially in countries with heating, deposition rates are up to 10 times higher. PAHs concentrations in soils show a very wide variation from less than 1 µg g-1 in rural areas up to 10 µg g-1 in urban space, which is about 1000 times lower than the concentration of PAHs on particles in the atmosphere. This demonstrates the relevance of high concentrations of PAHs on airborne particles deposited on soils, which also highlights the importance of considering incremental lifetime cancer risk models for both air and soil and assessing the total health risk of PAHs to humans.

Occurrence, potential source, and cancer risk of PM2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their halogenated derivatives in Shizuoka, Japan, and Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Because of their unintentional formation and low vapor pressure, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their halogenated derivatives (XPAHs) in the atmosphere are distributed primarily to aerosolized particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5). However, no information is available regarding the occurrence of PM2.5-bound PAHs and XPAHs in Bangladesh, one of the most highly PM2.5-polluted regions worldwide. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of PM2.5-bound PAHs and XPAHs in the atmospheres of Dhaka in Bangladesh and Shizuoka in Japan (as a reference) and estimated their incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCRs). In addition, we statistically estimated the potential sources of PM2.5-bound PAHs and XPAHs by using principal component analysis and positive matrix factorization. The median concentration of total PM2.5-bound PAHs and XPAHs in Bangladesh was 24.2 times that in Japan. The estimated potential sources of PAHs clearly differed between Japan and Bangladesh, whereas those of XPAHs were largely (>80%) unknown in both countries. The median ILCR in Bangladesh was 2.81 × 10-3, which greatly exceeded the upper limit of acceptable risk (10-4). These results indicate that comprehensive monitoring and control of atmospheric PM2.5-bound PAHs and XPAHs are needed urgently, especially in highly polluted countries.

PAHs in road dust of Nanjing Chemical Industry Park, China: chemical composition, sources, and risk assessment.

The objectives of the present study were to research the chemical composition of PAHs in PM2.5 of road dust, explore potential sources of PAHs, and assess their carcinogenic risk. Fifty-six road dust samples were collected on the arterial and sub-arterial roads at Nanjing Chemical Industry Park during the sampling periods of autumn and winter. A resuspension system in the laboratory was used to simulate the naturally suspended road dust in the environment and collect PM2.5. Ace was not detected, but other PAHs were found. The pollution level of PAHs was 43.66 ± 15.79 mg kg-1; and 4-ring PAHs, which accounted for 35.14% of PAHs, were the main pollutants. The contents of BeP and BghiP were the highest, accounting for 12.23% and 12.06% of PAHs, respectively. The PAHs concentrations were found to be higher in winter due to the physicochemical characteristics of PAHs and the meteorological conditions. The sequence of PAHs concentrations was: sub-arterial road in winter > arterial road in winter > arterial road in autumn > sub-arterial road in autumn. Traffic emission and industrial sources led to higher PAHs concentrations on the arterial roads in autumn. Meteorological conditions and road characteristics, such as vehicular speed, frequency of road dust sweeping, and road width, led to higher PAHs concentrations on the sub-arterial roads in winter. Principal component analysis (PCA) and the ratios of Ant/(Ant + Phe), Flu/(Flu + Pyr), InP/(InP + BP), and BaA/(BaA + Chr) were used to distinguish the PAHs sources, which indicated fossil fuel combustion, traffic emissions, and petroleum exhaust as the main PAHs sources. The application of the ILCR model for PAHs in road dust showed a higher carcinogenic risk for children and adults (6.01 × 10-5 and 5.80 × 10-5, respectively) on the sub-arterial roads in winter, indicating a high potential carcinogenic risk at the Chemical Industrial Park.

Fate of PM2.5-bound PAHs in Xiangyang, central China during 2018 Chinese spring festival: Influence of fireworks burning and air-mass transport.

Variations of levels, possible source and air mass transmission were investigated for 16 USEPA priority-controlled PAHs in PM2.5 during 2018 Chinese Spring Festival (CSF) in Xiangyang City, central China which is the North-South pollutant airmass transport channel of China. Totally 37 samples were collected. Mass concentrations of Σ16PAHs for the Pre-CSF day (Pre-CSFD), during the CSF day (CSFD) and after the CSF day (Af-CSFD) are 33.78 ± 17.68 ng/m3, 22.98 ± 6.49 ng/m3, and 8.99 ± 4.44 ng/m3, respectively. High resolution samples showed that Σ16PAHs are higher in the morning (06:00-11:00) or afternoon (11:30-16:30), than those in the evening (17:00-22:00) and at night (22:30-05:30), whereas the result is reversed during the CSFD. Fireworks burning can obviously increase the mass concentration of PAHs. Air mass trajectory indicated that Xiangyang is a sink area of pollutants for northwest and southeast, and the sources of the northeast and southwest. The air mass only can be transmitted out through northeast and southwest. It is effective for improvement of air quality in Wuhan and Hunan to control fireworks emission in Henan and local areas. Fireworks burning was an important source for PAHs during CSFD, biomass, coal combustion, and traffic emission were the main sources of PAHs for Pre-CSFD and Af-CSFD periods. The health risk on the CSFD was higher than the acceptable levels, especially during the intensive fireworks burning, the risk value far exceed 1.0 × 10-4, controlling burning fireworks is required.

Characteristics, distribution, source apportionment, and potential health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban street dust of Kerman metropolis, Iran.

In this study, the concentrations of street dust-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Kerman metropolis as a typical arid urban area were determined to investigate the contamination, molecular composition, toxicity, and sources of PAHs. Sixteen individual PAHs on the United States Environmental Protection Agency priority list were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in street dust samples from 30 sites. ∑PAHs ranged between 165 and 5314.7 µg·kg-1 with a mean of 770.8 µg·kg-1. The most abundant individual PAHs were fluoranthene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and chrysene, respectively. High molecular weight PAHs (4-6 rings) made 74.8% of ∑PAHs mass and were dominant in all sites. Source apportionment was performed using ring classification, diagnostic ratios, and principal component analysis-multiple linear regression. The results indicated that primary contributors of PAHs in the street dust of Kerman could be liquid fossil fuel combustion, natural gas combustion, and petrogenic sources, accounting for 82.4%, 11.5%, and 6.1%, respectively. The calculated incremental lifetime cancer risk is 8.13 × 10-4 for children and 6.27 × 10-4 for adults. Hence, both children and adults in Kerman are potentially exposed to a high carcinogenic risk via ingestion and dermal contact.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in agricultural soils from Ningde, China: levels, sources, and human health risk assessment.

Soil-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in farmland are critical to human health. The level, composition, source, and cancer risk of sixteen PAHs in agricultural soil from Ningde, China, were investigated. The results indicated that the total concentrations of 16 PAHs ranged from 77.3 to 1188 ng g-1, with a mean value of 406 ng g-1. Five-ring PAHs were found to have the highest concentrations (148 ± 133 ng g-1), followed by four-ring (120 ± 101 ng g-1), three-ring (61.9 ± 54.2 ng g-1), six-ring (44.6 ± 61.0 ng g-1), and two-ring (31.3 ± 31.0 ng g-1). Employing positive matrix factorization (PMF), four PAH sources including biomass burning (36.3%), coal combustion (35.5%), traffic emissions (16.4%), and coke source (11.8%) were identified. Incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) results showed that ILCR values ranged from 7.1 × 10-4 to 1.1 × 10-3, which will cause moderate-to-high cancer risk to human health mainly via the soil ingestion and dermal contact exposure pathways. The source-oriented results indicated that coal combustion (32.7%), traffic emission (34.3%), and biomass burning (32.4%) had similar contributions to the total cancer risk. Therefore, more attention should be paid to these pyrolysis-originated sources to protect humanity from the health risk of PAHs.

Accumulation characteristics and potential risk of PAHs in vegetable system grow in home garden under straw burning condition in Jilin, Northeast China.

The accumulation characteristics and potential risk posed by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils and vegetables grown in the home garden and agricultural field were investigated in this research. The average concentrations of 16 PAHs in soils and vegetables in the home garden were 508.9 ng/g and 197.3 ng/g, respectively, and in agricultural fields were 589.9 ng/g and 171.3 ng/g, respectively. The 16 PAHs concentrations of vegetables in the home garden were a little higher than in agricultural field. The most abundant PAHs in soils and vegetables was Phe, followed by Fla and Pyr in our study area. The concentrations of low-molecular-weight PAHs (L-PAHs) were higher in vegetables as compared to higher molecular weight 4-6 ring PAHs (H-PAHs). The results of plant concentration factor (PCF) indicated that L-PAHs have greater mobility in our research. Based on the results of PAH ratios, the main sources of the PAHs in soils were determined to be the combustion of biomass, coal, and petroleum. The total values of incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for males and females induced by soils and vegetables in home garden and agricultural field were all about 10-7 and 10-10. All the ILCRs value were lower than the baseline value, indicated that the carcinogenic risk for the soils and vegetables contaminated with PAHs in our study area for the residents was negligible.

Contamination and health risk assessment of PAHs in farmland soils of the Yinma River Basin, China.

The concentration, composition, sources and incremental lifetime cancer risk of farmland soil polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of the Yinma River Basin were analyzed. In 2016, the total concentration of 16 PAHs ranged from 491.65 to 1007.73 ng/g in May, from 427.31 to 781.38 ng/g in August and from 580.40 to 999.40 ng/g in November, respectively. Levels of seven potentially carcinogenic PAHs generally accounted for 33-36.7% of total 16 PAHs in three seasons, and the PAHs contained two to six rings, mainly Fla, Pyr, and Chr. The correlation analysis suggested that the soil organic matter (SOM) was no correlation with PAHs except for August, and there were no significant relationship between the pH and total PAHs. Isomer ratios indicated that the soil PAHs in the farmland of the Yinma River Basin was determined to be the combustion of coal, biomass, and petroleum. The toxic equivalent (BaPeq) concentrations ranged from 15.2 to 133 ng BaPeq g-1 in three seasons. The 95th percentiles of incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) due to human exposure to farmland soil PAHs of the Yinma River Basin was (1.36 × 10-6) in May, (1.00 × 10-6) in August, and (1.18 × 10-6) in November for children, (1.10 × 10-6) in May, (8.15 × 10-7) in August, and (9.58 × 10-7) in November for adolescence and (1.61 × 10-6) in May, (4.22 × 10-6) in August and (1.40 × 10-6) in November for adulthood. The result indicated a moderate carcinogenic risk and the risk of exposure to farmland soil PAHs was pervasive for residents. This investigation might provide useful information on human exposure to PAHs in soil of the Yinma River Basin, and is valuable for policy makers and scientists.

Biomass burning contributed most to the human cancer risk exposed to the soil-bound PAHs from Chengdu Economic Region, western China.

The purpose of this study was to assess the human cancer risk due to the exposure to the soil-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from Chengdu Economic Region (CER), western China with the main concern on cancer risk source apportionment. The total concentrations of sixteen PAHs ranged from 12.5 to 75431 ng g-1, with a mean value of 3106 ng g-1, which suggested that the most areas of CER were contaminated. Source apportionment of PAHs was conducted by the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model and the biomass burning contributed most (63.6%) to the total PAHs, followed by petroleum combustion (16.0%), coke source (11.3%), and petrogenic source (9.2%). Results from incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) calculation showed that soil ingestion exerted the highest cancer risk (accounted for 98.1 - 99.3% of the total cancer risk) on human health among three different exposure pathways, followed by dermal contact (0.66 - 1.83%) and inhalation (0.03 - 0.04%). Among different age groups, adult suffered the highest cancer risk via any exposure pathways. Based on PMF and ILCR methods, the cancer risk source apportionment was conducted and the biomass burning showed moderate cancer risk. The petrogenic, coke, and petroleum sources showed low cancer risks to human. To analyze the sensitivity of the parameters used in ILCR calculation, Monte Carlo simulation was employed. The results indicated that the contribution of each source and exposure duration (ED) were the influential parameters on human health associated with soil-bound PAHs. Therefore, much attentions should be paid to biomass burning to avoid cumulative cancer risk.

Human health risk assessment and PAHs in a stretch of river Ganges near Kanpur.

The presence of 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was measured in a small stretch of river Ganges in Kanpur, using high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with photodiode array detector (HPLC/PDA). Non-carcinogenic risk on human health was calculated in the form of hazardous index. Carcinogenic risk was calculated as chronic daily intake and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) with the help of monitored PAHs in river water. Due to non-availability of reference dose (RfD) values for all the 13 PAHs, the combined hazardous index for three PAHs was calculated. These values in winter, pre-monsoon, and post-monsoon period varied from 6.37 × 10-3 (Bithoor) to 1.12 × 10-2 (Jajmau), 2.89 × 10-3 (Bithoor) to 8.52 × 10-3 (Annandeshwar Temple), and 1.80 × 10-3 (Massacre Ghat) to 6.67 × 10-3 (Jajmau), respectively. In this study, the carcinogenic risk due to PAHs was calculated in the form of ILCR. ILCR due to benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) varied from 1.39 × 10-6 (Massacre Ghat) to 1.45 × 10-5 (Jajmau). ILCR was also calculated with the help of BaPeq for five age groups of people (adults, teenagers, children, toddlers, and infants). The outcome of the study indicates that there is a need to control pollution of the river water to maintain its quality. Continuous discharge of PAHs into the river poses both human health risk and ecological risk.

Investigation of metal concentration distribution and corresponding health exposure assessment of fabricated metal product manufacturers.

The fabricated metal product industries were identified as producers of variable and heterogeneous pollution. Workers in these manufacturing facilities are exposed to multiple pollutants present at variable concentrations. Specific known adverse health effects include bladder cancer associated with metalworking fluid exposure and lung cancer associated with electroplating processes. To reduce the incidence of these adverse effects, the main challenge is to identify the most hazardous pollutants within this complex exposure environment and evaluate the corresponding health potentials. In this study, exposure indices were formulated to assess multiple metal exposures with the ultimate goal of providing relevant information for exposure reduction and control measures. Fifteen plants, including metal mold manufacturing, metal casting, and surface treatment plants, were investigated in terms of total concentration, summation of corresponding ratio to threshold limit value (STLVr), hazard index (HI), and incremental cancer risk. The results revealed that emissions of aluminum, iron, and manganese were primarily found in the metal mold manufacturing/casting plants, while emissions of chromium, nickel, and zinc were found in surface treatment plants. STLVr and HI were more useful than the total concentration for identifying hazardous metals, which were chromium and nickel, and could specify the facilities that were in need of control measures. As for cancer risk, the metal mold manufacturing/casting plants had lower risk than the surface treatment plants, and the contributing metals for these two plant types were cobalt and chromium, respectively. This study established a useful procedure to evaluate health hazards and cancer risk. The resulting information is useful for prioritizing mitigation control of multiple metal exposures.

Influence of oil extraction on concentration distributions, migration, secondary formation and carcinogenic risk of NPAHs and OPAHs in air and soil in an oilfield development area in China.

Oil extraction leads to environmental pollution from the oilfields and dweller activities, however, knowledge of the concentration distributions, migration, secondary formation and toxicity of nitrated/oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (N/OPAHs) in oilfield regions is limited. In this research, atmospheric and soil samples in 7 different location types in an important oil industrial base in China were gathered. The ΣNPAHs and ΣOPAHs in the air ranged from 0.05 to 2.47 ng/m3 and 0.14-22.72 ng/m3, respectively, and in soil ranged from 0.22 to 17.81 ng/g and 9.69-66.86 ng/g, respectively. Both NPAHs and OPAHs in the atmosphere exhibited higher concentrations during winter. The atmospheric NPAH concentrations decreased exponentially with distance from urban area especially in the summer, revealing the impact of vehicles on the air in the Yellow River Delta area. High NPAH and OPAH concentrations were found only in soil near oil extraction facilities, indicating that the impact of oil extraction is limited to the soil near the extraction facilities. The air-soil exchanges of N/OPAHs were assessed through fugacity fraction analysis, and NPAHs were in the equilibrium-deposition state and OPAHs were in the net-deposition state in the winter. Higher incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) occurred at the urban, industrial, and oilfield sites in the atmospheric samples, and the soil samples had the largest ILCR values in the oilfield sites. However, ILCR values for both air and soil did not exceed the threshold of 10-6.

Concentration and sources of persistent organic pollutants within the vicinity of a scrap-iron smelting plant: Seasonal pattern and health risk assessment.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of ubiquitous and significant synthetic organic chemicals that pose deleterious threats to the environment and human health. This study examined the concentration, indoor-outdoor and seasonal change, sources, and health effects of PCBs in particulate-bound dust near a scrap iron recycling plant. PCBs levels were determined in samples using gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The results indicated that 5 Cl atoms PCB constituted the majority of PCBs (41% overall), contributing 43% during the rainy season and 39% during the dry season. Dioxin-like PCBs (DLPCBs) contributed 38% during the rainy season and 33% during the dry season. In addition, DLPCB accounted for 26% and 40% of indoor and outdoor PCB emissions, respectively. Iron and steel production were identified as the highest identified contributing sources, accounting for 76% of PCB emissions in the rainy season, while plastic combustion had the highest contribution in the dry season, accounting for 44% of PCB emissions. Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk assessment showed ingestion as the main exposure pathway for children and adults during the two seasons (74.42% and 58.24%, respectively), followed by dermal exposure, while inhalation had the least contribution. A multifaced approach involving relevant agencies, the industry, and the community is required to reduce exposure.

Evaluation of acrylamide concentration in commercial falafel available in Tehran City by different cooking methods: A health risk assessment study.

The objective of current research was to measure the amount of acrylamide in falafel samples by GC-MS (Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) technique. The results presented, the average amount of acrylamide in falafel samples was 1.23 ± 0.83 mg/kg (ranged from 0.12 to 3.75 mg/kg). Also, the results showed lower temperature and frying with electric oven and low oil, reduces the average formation of acrylamide (0.73 ± 0.42 mg/kg), while frying at high temperature and frying with gas and immersion in edible oil, increases the average amount of acrylamide formation (1.72 ± 0.86 mg/kg). The highest and lowest average amount of acrylamide was observed in falafel cooked with canola oil (1.57 ± 0.96 mg/kg) and cooked with soybean oil (0.92 ± 0.32 mg/kg), respectively. Based on the MCS (Monte Carlo Simulation) results, the THQ (Target Hazard Quotient) and ILCR (Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk) related to exposure to acrylamide via commercial falafel for adults were 2.72E-2 and 2.77E-5; and for children were 9.69E-2 and 9.25E-5, respectively. Therefore, there doesn't a significant health risk from falafel consumption.

Composition analysis and health risk assessment of the hazardous compounds in cooking fumes emitted from heated soybean oils with different refining levels.

The cooking fumes generated from thermal cooking oils contains various of hazardous components and shows deleterious health effects. The edible oil refining is designed to improve the oil quality and safety. While, there remains unknown about the connections between the characteristics and health risks of the cooking fumes and oils with different refining levels. In this study, the hazardous compounds, including aldehydes, ketones, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and particulate matter (PM) in the fumes emitted from heated soybean oils with different refining levels were characterized, and their health risks were assessed. Results demonstrated that the concentration range of aldehydes and ketones (from 328.06 ± 24.64 to 796.52 ± 29.67 µg/m3), PAHs (from 4.39 ± 0.19 to 7.86 ± 0.51 µg/m3), and PM (from 0.36 ± 0.14 to 5.08 ± 0.15 mg/m3) varied among soybean oil with different refining levels, respectively. The neutralized oil showed the highest concentration of aldehydes and ketones, whereas the refined oil showed the lowest. The highest concentration levels of PAHs and PM were observed in fumes emitted from crude oil. A highly significant (p < 0.001) positive correlation between the acid value of cooking oil and the concentrations of PM was found, suggesting that removing free fatty acids is critical for mitigating PM concentration in cooking fumes. Additionally, the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) values of PAHs and aldehydes were 5.60 × 10-4 to 8.66 × 10-5 and 5.60 × 10-4 to 8.66 × 10-5, respectively, which were substantially higher than the acceptable levels (1.0 × 10-6) established by US EPA. The present study quantifies the impact of edible oil refining on hazardous compound emissions and provides a theoretical basis for controlling the health risks of cooking fumes via precise edible oil processing.

Health Risk Assessment of Toxic Metal(loids) Consumed Through Plant-Based Anti-diabetic Therapeutics Collected in the Northern Divisional City of Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

The present study investigates human health risks upon consumption of herbal medicines in terms of ten toxic metalloids in 20 plant-based anti-diabetic therapeutics. The analysis of metalloids was determined by an atomic absorption spectrometer after microwave-assisted digestion. The computation of hazard quotients (HQ) and hazard indexes (HI) of metalloids leads to the assessment of non-carcinogenic health risks. Carcinogenic risk was assessed based on cancer slope factor (CSF) and chronic daily intake (CDI) values. Comparison with WHO regulatory cut-off points for each metalloid: seven samples for Mn, 12 samples for Hg, three samples for Cu, eight samples for Ni, four samples for Cd, two samples for Pb, one sample for Cr, and eight samples for Zn are unsafe to consume. Non-carcinogenic human health risk is predicted for Mn in seven samples, Fe in one sample, Hg in ten samples, Cu in three samples, Ni in one sample, and Pb in two samples. HI values greater than 1 predict non-carcinogenic health risk in thirteen samples. Incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) remains for As (inorganic) in 12 samples, Cr (+ 6) in one sample, and Pb in no samples. To guarantee consumer safety, the implementation of strict monitoring is suggested.