Journal of Shanghai University(Natural Science Edition) ›› 2017, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (1): 101-111.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1007-2861.2015.03.017

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Pollution characteristics, source identification and health risk assessment of PAHs in road dust

LI Hong, SHEN Xinhao, WANG Yujie, TANG Liang, WU Minghong, MA Jing   

  1. School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
  • Received:2015-04-09 Online:2017-02-28 Published:2017-02-28

Abstract:

A total of 112 road dust samples from Shanghai urban areas were collected with a mesh point method to investigate road dust in Shanghai. Levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their potential risks to human health were assessed, and source contributions to road dust PAHs were identified. This paper is focused on 16 the United States Environmental Protection Agency priority PAHs, concentrations of  PAHs in summer samples ranging from 0.817 ng/g to 21.800 μg/g with a mean of 10.400 μg/g, and in winter samples ranging from 4.08 μg/g to 59.90 μg/g with a mean of 23.70 μg/g.
Difference of PAHs in road dust samples taken from functional areas between summer and winter shows that the total PAH concentrations at transportation hubs, construction areas  and commercial districts are high, while offshore region , green areas and open territory have a low level. Differences exist in main sources of road dust in summer and winter using a characteristic ratio method. However, the health risk assessment for both children and adults exposed to road dust in summer and winter indicates that  Cancer risk is less than 10−6, without posing a potential cancer threat. In addition, the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) of PAHs in road dust in winter is significantly higher than that in summer, and ILCR of PAHs in road dust for adults is higher than for children.

Key words: health risk, poiycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pollution characteristics, source identification, road dust