Toxic Organic Contaminants in Airborne Particles: Levels, Potential Sources and Risk Assessment

Donatella Pomata, Patrizia Di Filippo, Carmela Riccardi, Federica Castellani, Giulia Simonetti, Elisa Sonego and Francesca Buiarelli
Additional contact information
Donatella Pomata: Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority via Roberto Ferruzzi 38, 00143 Rome, Italy
Patrizia Di Filippo: Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority via Roberto Ferruzzi 38, 00143 Rome, Italy
Carmela Riccardi: Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority via Roberto Ferruzzi 38, 00143 Rome, Italy
Federica Castellani: Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Giulia Simonetti: Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Elisa Sonego: Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Francesca Buiarelli: Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 8, 1-21

Abstract: In the last years, many studies have focused on risk assessment of exposure of workers to airborne particulate matter (PM). Several studies indicate a strong correlation between PM and adverse health outcomes, as a function of particle size. In the last years, the study of atmospheric particulate matter has focused more on particles less than 10 ?m or 2.5 ?m in diameter; however, recent studies identify in particles less than 0.1 ?m the main responsibility for negative cardiovascular effects. The present paper deals with the determination of 66 organic compounds belonging to six different classes of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the ultrafine, fine and coarse fractions of PM (PM < 0.1 µm; 0.1 < PM < 2.5 µm and 2.5 < PM < 10 µm) collected in three outdoor workplaces and in an urban outdoor area. Data obtained were analyzed with principal component analysis (PCA), in order to underline possible correlation between sites and classes of pollutants and characteristic emission sources. Emission source studies are, in fact, a valuable tool for both identifying the type of emission source and estimating the strength of each contamination source, as useful indicator of environment healthiness. Moreover, both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were determined in order to estimate human health risk associated to study sites. Risk analysis was carried out evaluating the contribution of pollutant distribution in PM size fractions for all the sites. The results highlighted significant differences between the sites and specific sources of pollutants related to work activities were identified. In all the sites and for all the size fractions of PM both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk values were below acceptable and safe levels of risks recommended by the regulatory agencies.

Keywords: organic pollutant measurements; particle-size distribution; outdoor environments; principal component analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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