1 School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Mine Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi 435003, China
2 KLACP, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710075, China
3 SKLBEGE, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
4 Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
5 Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
Cite this article: Zhang, J., Zhan, C., Liu, H., Liu, T., Yao, R., Hu, T., Xiao, W., Xing, X., Xu, H. and Cao, J. (2016). Characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Iron and Black Carbon within Street Dust from a Steel Industrial City, Central China.
Aerosol Air Qual. Res.
16: 2452-2461. https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2016.02.0085
HIGHLIGHTS
Contents and distribution of PAHs, BC and Fe in street dust of the industrial city.
PAHs were significantly associated with BC, and not relevant to Fe.
PAHs present a mixed source of industrial production and traffic emission.
Assess the health risk of PAHs in the street dust.
ABSTRACT
Twenty-two street dust samples collected from a small steel city, central China, were analyzed for 16 USEPA priority PAHs to investigate the concentration, spatial distribution relationship with black carbon (BC) and Iron (Fe), and the source apportionment and to assess the health risk of these compounds. The mean contents of PAHs, BC and Fe were 4.43 µg g–1, 12837.97 mg kg–1, 70205.70 mg kg–1, respectively. The highest spot was in the surrounding of the E’zhou Steel Plant and the Steel Rolling Mill of E’zhou. The correlation analysis indicated that there was no obvious relationship between Fe with each other, the PAHs significantly correlated to black carbon (BC), which might be caused by the continuous emission sources of iron and steel production. The results of sources identification suggested that PAHs contaminations in street dust were a mixed source of industrial production and traffic emission combustion. The incremental lifetime and cancer risks (ILCRs) of exposing to PAHs in the street dust of the E’zhou city for the three age groups (namely childhood, adolescence, adulthood) fluctuated with in the range of 10–6 to 10–4, indicating a potential of carcinogenic risk for exposed populations.
Keywords: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); Street dust; Industrial city; Source apportionment; Health risk assessment
