engleski

Identification of dominant PAHs sources at three different urban sites: Urban background, urban residential, urban industrial

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are recognized as one of the most serious contaminants due to their mutagenic and carcinogenic health effects. They originate from a variety of sources such as forest and peat fires, volcano eruptions, coal combustion and vehicle exhaust emissions. There are several routes of PAH exposure, including water, food and tobacco smoke, but ambient air represents one of the major sources of PAH intake. In this study, PM10 particle samples (particulate matter with a diameter <10 µm) were collected at three cities in continental Croatia (urban background, urban residential and urban industrial sites). 24-hour samples were collected on quartz filters from about 55 m3 of air over two months during winter time. The analysis of the PAHs was performed using an Agilent Infinity 1260 high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector and programmed changes in excitation and emission wavelengths. Samples were analyzed for eleven PAHs: fluoranthene (Flu), pyrene (Pyr), benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), chrysene (Chry), benzo(j)fluoranthene (BjF), 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 mass concentrations of all of the measured PAHs were highest at the urban industrial and lowest at the urban residential site. The PAHs’ diagnostic ratios identified wood and coal combustion as a dominant source at the urban industrial and urban background and liquid fossil fuel at the urban residential site.

PAH ; HPLC ; PM10

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