Ambient air levels and health risk assessment of benzo(a)pyrene in atmospheric particulate matter samples from low-polluted areas: application of an optimized microwave extraction and HPLC-FL methodology

de la Gala Morales, María; Holgado, Fernando Rueda; Marín, Mª Rosario Palomo; Blázquez, Lorenzo Calvo; Gil, Eduardo Pinilla

Ambient air levels and health risk assessment of benzo(a)pyrene in atmospheric particulate matter samples from low-polluted areas: application of an optimized microwave extraction and HPLC-FL methodology

2015

de la Gala Morales, María | Holgado, Fernando Rueda | Marín, Mª Rosario Palomo | Blázquez, Lorenzo Calvo | Gil, Eduardo Pinilla

A new methodology involving a simple and fast pretreatment of the samples by microwave-assisted extraction and concentration by N₂stream, followed by HPLC with fluorescence detection, was used for determining the concentration of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) in atmospheric particulate matter (PM₁₀fraction). Obtained LOD, 1.0 × 10⁻³ ng/m³, was adequate for the analysis of benzo(a)pyrene in the samples, and BaP recovery from PAH in Fine Dust (PM₁₀-like) certified reference material was nearly quantitative (86 %). The validated procedure was applied for analyzing 115 PM₁₀samples collected at different sampling locations in the low-polluted area of Extremadura (Southwest Spain) during a monitoring campaign carried out in 2011–2012. BaP spatial variations and seasonal variability were investigated as well as the influence of meteorological conditions and different air pollutants concentrations. A normalized protocol for health risk assessment was applied to estimate lifetime cancer risk due to BaP inhalation in the sampling areas, finding that around eight inhabitants per million people may develop lung cancer due to the exposition to BaP in atmospheric particulates emitted by the investigated sources.

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