Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Nov;28(42):59119-59130. doi: 10.1007/s11356-020-09475-9. Epub 2020 Jun 6.
Commuters are exposed to high air pollution levels daily, especially in areas with dense traffic. This study examines the commuter's exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece, under three different commuting modes: biking, travelling by private car, and riding public transportation means (buses). The study was carried out from 2015 to 2018 including 43 volunteers (15 cyclists, 17 car drivers/passengers, and 11 bus passengers). The personal exposure concentrations to particles smaller than 4-μm aerodynamic diameter (PM), constituting the respirable fraction of total airborne particles, and the associated PAHs were assessed for each commuting mode during the cold and the warm period of the year. Whereas the exposure of bus and car passengers to in-cabin PM were higher in the cold season, the exposure of cyclists exhibited the opposite seasonality. In all commuting modes, exposure to PAHs was higher in the cold season. In both seasons, exposure concentration followed the order: cyclists > bus passengers > car passengers. The carcinogenic and mutagenic potencies of the exposure PAH concentrations were calculated using Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) carcinogenic and mutagenic equivalency factors. The inhalation cancer risk (ICR) associated to PAHs was further estimated and compared between the different commuting modes. Our data can provide relevant information for transport decision-making and increase environmental awareness for a more rational approach to urban travelling.
通勤者每天都会暴露在高浓度的空气污染中，尤其是在交通密集的地区。本研究在希腊塞萨洛尼基市，以三种不同的通勤模式（骑自行车、开私家车和乘坐公共交通工具（公交车）），研究通勤者对多环芳烃（PAHs）的暴露情况。研究于 2015 年至 2018 年进行，包括 43 名志愿者（15 名骑自行车者、17 名汽车司机/乘客和 11 名公交车乘客）。在一年的冷暖和温暖季节，评估了每个人在不同通勤模式下，对小于 4μm 空气动力学直径的颗粒（PM）（总空气传播颗粒的可吸入部分）的个人暴露浓度，以及相关的 PAHs。虽然在寒冷季节，公交车和汽车乘客在车内的 PM 暴露量较高，但骑自行车者的暴露量则表现出相反的季节性。在所有通勤模式中，PAHs 的暴露量在寒冷季节较高。在两个季节中，暴露浓度的顺序为：骑自行车者>公交车乘客>汽车乘客。使用苯并[a]芘（BaP）致癌和致突变等效因子，计算了暴露于 PAHs 的致癌和致突变潜能。进一步估计了不同通勤模式之间与 PAHs 相关的吸入癌症风险（ICR），并进行了比较。我们的数据可以为交通决策提供相关信息，并提高对城市出行的更理性方法的环境意识。
