engleski

TRENDS OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN PM10 PARTICLE FRACTION IN ZAGREB FROM 2016 TO 2020

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds primarily associated with fine particles that originate mainly from incomplete combustion of organic materials. PAHs are highly investigated because of their mutagenic and carcinogenic potential. One of the most widely investigated PAHs is benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) which has been classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) by International agency for research on cancer. The Regulation on levels of pollutants in the air (Official Gazette 117/2012) sets a target value of 1 ng/m3 for annual average BaP concentration in PM10 particle fraction. The aim of this study was to determine mass concentrations of ten PAHs of environmental interest in order to assess the contribution of BaP in total PAHs and to examine their five-year period trends. Twenty-four-hour samples of PM10 particle fraction were collected in the northern, residential part of Zagreb from approximately 55 m3 of ambient air on quartz filters from 2016 to 2020. The following PAHs were analyzed by liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector and programmed changes in excitation and emission wavelengths: fluoranthene (Flu), pyrene (Pyr), benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), chrysene (Kri), benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF), benzo(k)fluoranthene (BkF), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), dibenzo(a, h)anthracene (DahA), benzo(ghi)perylene (BghiP), and indeno(1, 2, 3- cd)pyrene (IP). The average sum of ten measured PAHs ranged between 6.570 ng/m3 (in 2019) and 14.832 ng/m3 (in 2016) showing significantly decreasing trend. The same decresing trend was observed for all measured PAHs, except for DahA. However, the values of all ten studied PAHs in 2020 were higher compared to 2019. The average annual BaP values ranged between 0.950 ng/m3 (in 2019) and 1.347 ng/m3 (in 2016). The average BaP contribution in the sum of PAHs showed an increasing trend from 9.9 % in 2016 to 14.4 % in 2020, contrary to BaP mass concentrations. The same increasing trend was also observed for BaA, BbF, BkF and IP contributions in the total sum of PAHs. Only Flu contribution (from 9.8 % to 4.8 %) and Pir contribution (from 10.7 % to 4.8 %) displayed significantly decreasing trend during the investigated five-year period.

PM10 ; PAH ; BaP, HPLC

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