Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M1 5GD, UK.
Waters Corporation, Wilmslow, SK9 4AX, UK.
Environ Monit Assess. 2024 Mar 18;196(4):379. doi: 10.1007/s10661-024-12522-4.
Airborne metals and organic pollutants are linked to severe human health impacts, i.e. affecting the nervous system and being associated with cancer. Airborne metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban environments are derived from diverse sources, including combustion and industrial and vehicular emissions, posing a threat to air quality and subsequently human health. A lichen biomonitoring approach was used to assess spatial variability of airborne metals and PAHs, identify potential pollution sources and assess human health risks across the City of Manchester (UK). Metal concentrations recorded in lichen samples were highest within the city centre area and along the major road network, and lichen PAH profiles were dominated by 4-ring PAHs (189.82 ng g in Xanthoria parietina), with 5- and 6-ring PAHs also contributing to the overall PAH profile. Cluster analysis and pollution index factor (PIF) calculations for lichen-derived metal concentrations suggested deteriorated air quality being primarily linked to vehicular emissions. Comparably, PAH diagnostic ratios identified vehicular sources as a primary cause of PAH pollution across Manchester. However, local more complex sources (e.g. industrial emissions) were further identified. Human health risk assessment found a "moderate" risk for adults and children by airborne potential harmful element (PHEs) concentrations, whereas PAH exposure in Manchester is potentially linked to 1455 (ILCR = 1.45 × 10) cancer cases (in 1,000,000). Findings of this study indicate that an easy-to-use lichen biomonitoring approach can aid to identify hotspots of impaired air quality and potential human health impacts by airborne metals and PAHs across an urban environment, particularly at locations that are not continuously covered by (non-)automated air quality measurement programmes.
空气中的金属和有机污染物与严重的人类健康影响有关，即影响神经系统，并与癌症有关。城市环境中的空气中的金属和多环芳烃（PAHs）源自多种来源，包括燃烧以及工业和车辆排放，对空气质量和随后的人类健康构成威胁。本研究采用地衣生物监测方法来评估曼彻斯特市（英国）空气传播金属和 PAHs 的空间变异性，识别潜在污染源并评估人类健康风险。地衣样本中记录的金属浓度在市中心区域和主要道路网络沿线最高，地衣 PAH 图谱主要由 4 环 PAHs（Xanthoria parietina 中的 189.82ng/g）组成，5 环和 6 环 PAHs 也为总 PAH 图谱做出贡献。地衣衍生金属浓度的聚类分析和污染指数因子（PIF）计算表明，空气质量恶化主要与车辆排放有关。相比之下，PAH 诊断比表明，车辆是曼彻斯特 PAH 污染的主要原因。然而，还进一步确定了当地更复杂的污染源（例如工业排放）。通过空气传播潜在有害元素（PHEs）浓度对成人和儿童进行的人类健康风险评估发现存在“中度”风险，而曼彻斯特的 PAH 暴露可能与 1455 例癌症（每 100 万人中有 1455 例）有关（ILCR=1.45×10）。本研究的结果表明，简单易用的地衣生物监测方法可以帮助识别空气质量受损和空气传播金属和 PAHs 对城市环境中潜在人类健康影响的热点地区，特别是在没有连续覆盖（非）自动空气质量监测计划的位置。
