Elemental composition of ambient air particles in Taiyuan, China : evaluation of lifetime cancer and non-cancer risks

• Shanxi is a heavily polluted area in China. Our aim was to analyze the elemental concentration (71 elements) in ambient air in Taiyuan and evaluate cancer and non-cancer risks. Air was sampled in four urban sites and one rural site in the heating season (winter/spring) and summer season (totally 118 days sampling time). Mean total suspended particles (TSP) across all sampling sites were 248 mu g/m(3) in summer and 478 mu g/m(3) in winter. The heating season had higher levels of S, Pb, Br, Mn, Se, As, Ni, Cd, and Hg (23.3 mu g/m(3), 821 ng/m(3), 725 ng/m(3), 460 ng/m(3), 79 ng/m(3), 65 ng/m(3), 34 ng/m(3), 17 ng/m(3), and 3.5 ng/m(3), respectively) than the summer season (9.6 mu g/m(3), 276 ng/m(3), 138 ng/m(3), 283 ng/m(3), 0 ng/m(3), 21 ng/m(3), 21 ng/m(3), 6.8 ng/m(3), and 0 ng/m(3), respectively), except for Cr and Co, of which the levels were higher in summer. Many elements had a high correlation with the TSP level (r = 0.70-0.96) and S (r = 0.61-0.95). A health risk assessment demonstrated that Mn and Cr could have a risk of non-cancer effects. Estimated lifetime cancer risks (R-i>10(-6)) were observed for As, Cd, Co, Cr, and Ni, indicating that cancer risks from air pollution were relatively high in Taiyuan.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Arbetsmedicin och miljömedicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Occupational Health and Environmental Health (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Cancer och onkologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cancer and Oncology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

air pollution

cancer risk

elemental composition

outdoor air

total suspended particulates

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)