Inhalation bioaccessibility, health risk assessment, and source appointment of ambient PM-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Caofeidian, China.

The inhalation bioaccessibility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is significant for accurately assessing the health risks posed by PM-bound PAHs. In this study, 96 PM samples from Caofeidian, China, were investigated for PM-bound PAH source appointment and bioaccessibility assessment during four seasons. PAH potential sources were identified by positive matrix factorization. The inhalation bioaccessibility of PAH was investigated by simulated epithelial lung fluid extraction. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) model was subsequently used to evaluate the carcinogenic risk posed by PM-bound PAHs in children, teenagers, and adults. Four potential sources of PM-bound PAH were identified: industry emissions (44%), petroleum volatilization (30%), vehicle emissions (15%), and coal combustion (11%). The average inhalation bioaccessibility of PAHs ranged from 17.8% (dibenzo [a,h] anthracene) to 67.9% (fluorene). The ILCR values for children and teenagers were lower than the acceptable levels (10) in the four seasons considering inhalation bioaccessibility. However, the ILCR value of adults was higher than the threshold in winter (1.26 × 10). Source identification suggested that reducing industrial pollution was the primary measure for controlling PM-bound PAHs in Caofeidian. Additionally, the inhalation bioaccessibility of PM-bound PAHs was evaluated to precisely estimate the health risks caused by PAHs.