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PAHs in the urban air of Sarajevo: levels, sources, day/night variation, and human inhalation risk

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Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic pollutants derived from pyrolysis and pyrosynthesis processes. Industrial activity, motor vehicle emission, and domestic combustion are the main sources of PAHs in the urban atmosphere. In this work, samples collected during the day and night in the urban area of Sarajevo are analyzed separately for gaseous and particle-bound PAHs; the possible origin of PAHs at the receptor site was suggested using different methods applied to the solid phase and to the total PAHs (gaseous + particulate phase). Finally, the risk level in Sarajevo associated to the carcinogenic character of the studied PAHs has been assessed. The result of this study suggests that (a) the total PAH concentrations were higher than those reported in other European cities; (b) the PAH daytime concentrations are higher than nocturnal concentrations: the sum of the PAH day/night ratios is 1.52 (gas) and 1.45 (particle phase); (c) stationary combustion and traffic were suggested to be the main sources of PAHs; (d) the average particle-bound benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) concentration (5.4 ng/m3) is higher than EU target annual value (1 ng/m3); and (e) PAH cancer risk exceeds the carcinogenic benchmark level recommended by the EPA mainly due to BaP during both the day and night periods.

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Acknowledgments

This study is a contribution to the INTERREG IIIA Project (SIMCA cod. 38) funded by the European Commission. A. Arruti would like to thank the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science for the internship period grant (BES-2007-14915, project reference CTM-2006-00317).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, 30123, Venice, Italy

    Silvia De Pieri & Andrea Gambaro

  2. Chemical Engineering and Inorganic Chemistry Department, University of Cantabria, 39005, Santander, Spain

    Axel Arruti & Ignacio Fernández-Olmo

  3. Analytical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, University of Sarajevo, 71000, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina

    Jasna Huremovic, Jasmina Sulejmanovic & Alisa Selovic

  4. IChTM-Centre of Chemistry, Environment Department, University of Belgrade, 11001, Belgrade, Serbia

    Dragana Ðorđević

  5. Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes, CNR, 30123, Venice, Italy

    Andrea Gambaro

Authors
  1. Silvia De Pieri
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  2. Axel Arruti
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  3. Jasna Huremovic
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  4. Jasmina Sulejmanovic
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  5. Alisa Selovic
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  6. Dragana Ðorđević
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  7. Ignacio Fernández-Olmo
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  8. Andrea Gambaro
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Correspondence to Andrea Gambaro.

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De Pieri, S., Arruti, A., Huremovic, J. et al. PAHs in the urban air of Sarajevo: levels, sources, day/night variation, and human inhalation risk. Environ Monit Assess 186, 1409–1419 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3463-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3463-1

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