Multipathway exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Pyrene (Py) was studied among children ages 7-9 living in two areas of the Campania Region (South-Italy) classified as urban and rural. During five consecutive days PAHs and Py were detected in air samples from outdoors, indoors (school and home), individuals at inhalatory levels, and in food and beverages (defined as food) consumed daily by each child. 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) was detected in children's urine. Gender, weight and height of each subject were recorded, and the personal Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated. The type of home heating, the presence of smokers and the number of cigarettes smoked at home was determined. Total PAH and Py median concentrations in outdoor air from urban areas were 1.70 ng m(-3) and 0.19 ng m(-3), respectively while in rural areas they were 1.10 ng m(-3) and 0.14 ng m(-3). Indoor air total PAH and Py median concentrations were 2.50 ng m(-3) and 0.15 ng m(-3), respectively for urban areas, and 4.10 ng m(-3) and 0.15 ng m(-3) for rural areas. In food the total PAH and Py median levels were 10.44 and 0.81 microg kg(-1) in urban areas and 18.90 and 0.90 microg kg(-1) in rural areas. The median urinary levels of 1-OHP for urban and rural children were 0.07 and 0.06 micromol/mol creat., respectively. From these data, food appears to be the most relevant source of exposure to PAHs and Py. The Py intake from single (food or air) or total (food and air) pathways did not significantly correlate with the urinary 1-OHP excreted daily for each child during all 5 days of observation.

Thirty Italian children, 7-9 year aged, living in Naples were investigated on their dietary habits and on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure by a food diary-questionnaire and one week duplicate diet sample analyses. \ud Daily total food consumption mean value was 632±215 g day-1, median value 613 g day-1. The daily energy intake and the diet composition meanly agreed with the official guidelines for the Italian children.\ud 16 PAHs were simultaneously detected and, according to the EFSA approach, benzo[a]pyrene; benzo[a]pyrene+chrysene (PAH2); PAH2+benz[a]anthracene+benzo[b]fluoranthene (PAH4); PAH4+benzo[k]fluoranthene+benzo[ghi]perylene+dibenz[a,h]anthracene+ indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (PAH8) were considered in evaluating the children’s dietary exposure to PAHs. The benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) median concentrations in foods varied from 0.06 to 0.33 μg kg-1. Only three samples of cooked foods (one fish and two meat samples) exceeded legal limits fixed by EU for BaP. \ud Daily median intakes of benzo[a]pyrene, PAH2, PAH4, and PAH8 were 153; 318; 990; 1776 ng day-1; their median exposure values were 5; 10; 28 ; 54 ng kg-1 bw day-1. The Margins of Exposure (MOEs) in median consumers agreed with the EFSA safety values except for PAH

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