Comparison of Air Pollution in Metropolises in China (Beijing) and Japan (Osaka and Nagoya) on the Basis of the Levels of Contaminants and Mutagenicity

Abstract

Public concern regarding the transport of air pollutants from mainland East Asia to the leeward area by the prevailing westerlies in spring and winter monsoon has been growing in recent years. We collected total suspended particle (TSP) in Beijing, a metropolis of China located windward of Japan, in spring (late February 2011-May 2011) and in winter (November 2012-early February 2013), then analyzed metals, ions, and organic compounds and mutagenicity, and compared the pollution levels with samples collected at two Japanese metropolises (Osaka and Nagoya) during the same periods. The medians of concentration of TSP and other factors in Beijing were much larger than those in the Japanese metropolises. Especially, the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were remarkably high in Beijing in winter, and the median of total PAHs concentration in Beijing was 62-63 times larger than that in the Japanese sites. The mutagenicity of TSP from Beijing toward Salmonella typhimurium YG1024, with and without a mammalian metabolic system (S9 mix), was 13-25 times higher than that from the Japanese sites in winter. These results suggest that air pollution levels in Beijing are very high compared with those at the two Japanese metropolises we evaluated. The diagnostic ratios of PAHs and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) suggest that the major sources of PAHs and NPAHs in Beijing are different from those at the two Japanese sites in winter, and that the major source in Beijing is coal/biomass combustion.

Seasonal Trends of Atmospheric PAHs in Five Asian Megacities and Source Detection Using Suitable Biomarkers

“…In Beijing, coal combustion was a major source of PAHs, especially in winter, along with a constant contribution from vehicle exhaust throughout the year, consistent with the results of Coulibaly et al (2016) and with higher levels of PAHs in Beijing than in other cities in China (Liu et al, 2014, Liu et al, 2015. Concentrations of PAHs decreased from 2003 to 2011 in response to a number of measures taken to curb air pollution in preparation for the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 (Zhou et al, 2009;Ma et al, 2011.…”

The Effect of Seasonal Variations in Airborne Particulate Matter on Asthma-Related Airway Inflammation in Mice

“…February is a boundary between winter and spring in East Asia, which allowed us to compare the seasonal variations in East Asian air pollution, [ 43 , 44 ]. In East Asia, PM 10 levels change in March and are maintained near their highest levels from March to April [ 45 ].…”

Similar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and genotoxicity profiles of atmospheric particulate matter from cities on three different continents

“…Nitro‐PAHs were analyzed according to Coulibaly et al . (2016). Briefly, Nitro‐PAHs congeners were converted to the corresponding amino forms and then determined using a two‐dimensional HPLC system coupled to a fluorescence detector (for details, see Coulibaly et al ., 2016).…”

“…Aliquots of the organic extracts were submitted to the cleanup process described by Hasei et al (2015) prior to the analysis of the seven selected nitro-PAHs congeners. Nitro-PAHs were analyzed according to Coulibaly et al (2016). Briefly, Nitro-PAHs congeners were converted to the corresponding amino forms and then determined using a two-dimensional HPLC system coupled to a fluorescence detector (for details, see Coulibaly et al, 2016).…”

“…Nitro-PAHs were analyzed according to Coulibaly et al (2016). Briefly, Nitro-PAHs congeners were converted to the corresponding amino forms and then determined using a two-dimensional HPLC system coupled to a fluorescence detector (for details, see Coulibaly et al, 2016). The nitro-PAH concentrations were also expressed as a function of EOM mass (ng/mg of EOM) and as a function of air volume (pg/m 3 ) (Table 2).…”