Health Risk Associated with Exposure to PM 10 and Benzene in Three Italian Towns

Antonella De Donno, Mattia De Giorgi, Francesco Bagordo, Tiziana Grassi, Adele Idolo, Francesca Serio, Elisabetta Ceretti, Donatella Feretti, Milena Villarini, Massimo Moretti, Annalaura Carducci, Marco Verani, Silvia Bonetta, Cristina Pignata, Silvia Bonizzoni, Alberto Bonetti, Umberto Gelatti and On behalf of the MAPEC_LIFE Study Group
Additional contact information
Antonella De Donno: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, via Monteroni 165, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Mattia De Giorgi: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, via Monteroni 165, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Francesco Bagordo: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, via Monteroni 165, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Tiziana Grassi: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, via Monteroni 165, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Adele Idolo: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, via Monteroni 165, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Francesca Serio: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, via Monteroni 165, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Elisabetta Ceretti: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Donatella Feretti: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Milena Villarini: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06122 Perugia, Italy
Massimo Moretti: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06122 Perugia, Italy
Annalaura Carducci: Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via S. Zeno 35/39, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Marco Verani: Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via S. Zeno 35/39, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Silvia Bonetta: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Torino, Italy
Cristina Pignata: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Torino, Italy
Silvia Bonizzoni: Comune di Brescia, Piazza Repubblica 1, 25100 Brescia, Italy
Alberto Bonetti: Centro Servizi Multisettoriale e Tecnologico–CSMT Gestione Scarl., via Branze 45, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Umberto Gelatti: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
On behalf of the MAPEC_LIFE Study Group: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, via Monteroni 165, 73100 Lecce, Italy

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-13

Abstract: Air pollution in urban areas is a major concern as it negatively affects the health of a large number of people. The purpose of this study was to assess the inhalation health risk for exposure to PM 10 and benzene of the populations living in three Italian cities. Data regarding PM 10 and benzene daily measured by “traffic” stations and “background” stations in Torino, Perugia, and Lecce during 2014 and 2015 were compared to the limits indicated in the Directive 2008/50/EC. In addition, an inhalation risk analysis for exposure to benzene was performed for adults and children by applying the standard United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) methodology. The levels of PM 10 detected in Torino exceeded the legal limits in both years with an increased mean concentration >10 µg/m 3 comparing with background station. Benzene concentrations never exceeded the legislative target value. The increased cancer risk (ICR) for children exposed to benzene was greater than 1 × 10 −6 only in the city of Torino, while for adults, the ICR was higher than 1 × 10 −6 in all the cities. The results suggest the need for emission reduction policies to preserve human health from continuous and long exposure to air pollutants. A revision of legal limits would also be recommended.

Keywords: health risk assessment; increased cancer risk; particulate matter; benzene; exposure; air pollution; MAPEC_LIFE study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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