Atmospheric Concentrations and Health Implications of PAHs, PCBs and PCDD/Fs in the Vicinity of a Heavily Industrialized Site in Greece

Abstract

Background: Thriassion Plain is considered the most industrialized area in Greece and thus a place where emissions of pollutants are expected to be elevated, leading to the degradation of air quality. Methods: Simultaneous determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was performed in PM10 samples. SPSS statistical package was employed for statistical analysis and source apportionment purposes. Cancer risk was estimated from total persistent organic pollutants’ (POPs) dataset according to the available literature. Results: POPs concentrations in particulate matter were measured in similar levels compared to other studies in Greece and worldwide, with mean concentrations of ΣPAHs, ΣPCDD/Fs, dioxin like PCBs, and indicator PCBs being 7.07 ng m−3, 479 fg m−3, 1634 fg m−3, and 18.1 pg m−3, respectively. Seasonal variations were observed only for PAHS with higher concentrations during cold period. MDRs, D/F ratios, and principal component analysis (PCA) highlighted combustions as the main source of POPs’ emissions. Estimation of particles’ carcinogenic and mutagenic potential indicates the increased toxicity of PM10 during cold periods, and cancer risk assessment concludes that 3 to 4 people out of 100,000 may suffer from cancer due to POPs’ inhalation. Conclusions: Increased cancer risk for citizens leads to the necessity of chronic POPs’ monitoring in Thriassion Plain, and such strategies have to be a priority for Greek environmental authorities.

Correlation of Occupational Exposure to Carcinogenic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (cPAHs) and Blood Levels of p53 and p21 Proteins

“…They are semi-volatile and ever-present persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that can be transported away from their emission source in air masses either as gas molecules or bound particulate matter [ 55 , 56 , 57 ]. Ingestion and inhalation are the most common way for humans to be exposed to PAHs [ 17 ].…”

“…cPAH exposure is a major area of interest within the field of carcinogenesis and environmental pollutants [ 16 ]. Many PAHs are considered to be potent human carcinogens, such as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DBa,lP), benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DBA), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), and indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene (IND) [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. The benzene pollution of ambient air is predominantly caused by buses, trucks and cars; therefore, the highest levels of contamination by these compounds are found near highways and high-traffic areas [ 22 ].…”

PM2.5 chemical composition and health risks by inhalation near a chemical complex

“…A cancer risk of 2.8 × 10 −5 was reported for PM 10 -bound PAHs collected in the vicinity of a heavily industrialised site in Greece, where large crude oil refineries and over 300 industrial plants are located, comprising metallurgical processes, cement, chemical and food production, shipyards, etc. ( Koukoulakis et al, 2020 ). Using the global high-resolution PKU-FUEL-2007 inventory and the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, Han et al (2020) simulated the concentrations of PAHs in China and estimated the associated health risks.…”