Classroom Dust-Bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Jeddah Primary Schools, Saudi Arabia: Level, Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment

Mansour A. Alghamdi, Salwa K. Hassan, Noura A. Alzahrani, Marwan Y. Al Sharif and Mamdouh I. Khoder
Additional contact information
Mansour A. Alghamdi: Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80208, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Salwa K. Hassan: Air Pollution Department, National Research Centre, El Behooth Str., Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt
Noura A. Alzahrani: Office of Education/South Jeddah (Girls), Department of Primary Grades, Ministry of Education, Jeddah 23524, Saudi Arabia
Marwan Y. Al Sharif: Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80208, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Mamdouh I. Khoder: Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80208, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-23

Abstract: Data concerning polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Jeddah’s schools, Saudi Arabia, and their implications for health risks to children, is scarce. Classroom air conditioner filter dusts were collected from primary schools in urban, suburban and residential areas of Jeddah. This study aimed to assess the characteristics of classroom-dust-bound PAHs and the health risks to children of PAH exposure. Average PAH concentrations were higher in urban schools than suburban and residential schools. Benzo (b)fluoranthene (BbF), benzo(ghi)perylene (BGP), chrysene (CRY) and Dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBA) at urban and suburban schools and BbF, BGP, fluoranthene (FLT) and indeno (1, 2, 3, −cd)pyrene (IND) at residential schools were the dominant compounds in classroom dust. PAHs with five aromatic rings were the most abundant at all schools. The relative contribution of the individual PAH compounds to total PAH concentrations in the classroom dusts of schools indicate that the study areas do share a common source, vehicle emissions. Based on diagnostic ratios of PAHs, they are emitted from local pyrogenic sources, and traffic is the significant PAH source, with more significant contributions from gasoline-fueled than from diesel cars. Based on benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (BaP equi ) calculations, total carcinogenic activity (TCA) for total PAHs represent 21.59% (urban schools), 20.99% (suburban schools), and 18.88% (residential schools) of total PAH concentrations. DBA and BaP were the most dominant compounds contributing to the TCA, suggesting the importance of BaP and DBA as surrogate compounds for PAHs in this schools. Based on incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILC ingestion , ILCR inhalation , ILCR dermal ) and total lifetime cancer risk (TLCR)) calculations, the order of cancer risk was: urban schools > suburban schools > residential schools. Both ingestion and dermal contact are major contributors to cancer risk. Among PAHs, DBA, BaP, BbF, benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), benzo(k)fluoranthene (BkF), and IND have the highest ILCR values at all schools. LCR and TLCR values at all schools were lower than 10 −6 , indicating virtual safety. DBA, BaP and BbF were the predominant contributors to cancer effects in all schools.

Keywords: PAHs; level; characteristics; health risk; classrooms air conditioner filter dust; primary schools; Jeddah (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/8/2779/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/8/2779/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:8:p:2779-:d:347036

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().