Particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a rural background atmosphere of southwestern Europe

Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of organic pollutants widely distributed in the atmosphere and well known for their carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Over the last two decades, research about atmospheric PAHs has been focused in urban and industrial areas, while less attention has been given to rural areas. This study aims to contribute to filling this gap by analyzing the levels, sources and associated health risks of particulate PAHs in a rural coastal atmosphere of southwestern Europe (Portugal). A total of 132 PM10 aerosol samples were collected over a 3-year period, from 2014 to 2016, with a high-volume sampler and analyzed for 7 PAHs by high-performance liquid chromatography. The global average of the sum of the concentrations of PAHs (ΣPAHs) was 0.320 ± 0.597 ng/m3. Benzo[b]fluoranthene was the dominant congener in the majority of aerosol samples, with an average contribution of 25% to the ΣPAHs. A seasonal trend was repeatedly observed over the study period with higher concentrations of PAHs during the autumn and winter months. The HYSPLIT model was used to examine air mass transport pathways into the sampling site, revealing that changes in the frequency of continental air mass trajectories were a key factor explaining the seasonal variation of PAHs. Model runs also indicated that fast-moving air masses were more efficient at dispersing PAHs emitted in the surrounding region than slow-moving air masses with a similar origin (marine or continental). The average concentration of benzo[a]pyrene, a powerful human carcinogen, was found to be 0.044 ± 0.098 ng/m3, approximately two orders of magnitude lower than average values previously recorded in the most polluted European atmospheres. Diagnostic ratio analysis suggested that mobile and stationary combustion sources were equally contributing to the atmospheric load of PAHs. The estimated average lifetime lung cancer risk was below the health-based guideline level, indicating a low risk of lung cancer development associated with inhalation exposure to particle-phase PAHs.