Polychlorinated biphenyls in indoor dust from urban dwellings of Lahore,Pakistan: Congener profile,toxicity equivalency,and human health implications |
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Authors: | Iqra Aslam Mujtaba Baqar Abdul Qadir Mehvish Mumtaz Jun Li Gan Zhang |
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Affiliation: | 1. College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan;2. Sustainable Development Study Centre, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan;3. State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China |
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Abstract: | This study is the pioneer assessment of the PCBs in indoor dust particles (from air conditioners) of an urbanized megacity from South Asian. The ∑35 PCB concentration ranged from 0.27 to 152.9 ng/g (mean: 24.84 ± 22.10 ng/g). The tri- and tetra-PCBs were dominant homologues, contributing 57.36% of the total PCB concentrations. The mean levels of Σ8-dioxin-like (DL), Σ6-indicator PCBs and WHO2005-TEQ for DL-PCBs were 2.22 ± 2.55 ng/g, 9.49 ± 8.04 ng/g and 4.77 ± 4.89 pg/g, respectively. The multiple linear regression indicated a significant correlation of dusting frequency (p = 1.06 × 10–04) and age of the house (p = 1.02 × 10–06) with PCB concentrations in indoor environment. The spatial variation of PCB profile revealed relatively higher concentrations from sites near to illegal waste burning spots, electrical locomotive workshops, and grid stations. Human health risk assessment of PCBs for adults and toddlers through all three exposure routes (ie, inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact) demonstrated that toddlers were vulnerable to high cancer risk (4.32 × 10−04), while adults were susceptible from low to moderate levels of risk (3.16 × 10−05). Therefore, comprehensive investigations for PCBs in the indoor settings, focusing particularly on the sensitive populations with relationship to the electronic devices, transformers, and illegal waste burning sites, are recommended. |
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Keywords: | air conditioner filters human health risk indoor dust polychlorinated biphenyls |
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