Suspended fine particulate matter (PM2.5), microplastics (MPs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in air: Their possible relationships and health implications
Akhbarizadeh R. Dobaradaran S. Amouei Torkmahalleh M. Saeedi R. Aibaghi R. Faraji Ghasemi F.
January 2021Academic Press Inc.
Environmental Research
2021#192
Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and their associated microcontaminants have been linked to increased harmful effects on the human health. In this study, the possible relationships between PM2.5, microplastics (MPs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in an urban area of Bushehr port, in the northern part of the Persian Gulf. Presence, sources, and health risks of MPs and PAHs in both normal and dusty days were also investigated. The median of PM2.5 and ƩPAHs were 52.8 μg/m3 and 14.1 ng/m3, respectively, indicating high pollution levels especially in dusty days. The mean level of MPs in urban suspended PM2.5 was 5.2 items/m3. Fragments were the most abundant shape of identified MPs and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was the most plastic types in urban dust of Bushehr port. The results revealed that PM2.5 and MPs may possibly act as a carrier for airborne MPs and PAHs, respectively. In addition, the significant positive relationships between MPs, wind speed and wind direction, confirmed that the MPs transportation were highly controlled by atmospheric condition. Moreover, the source identification methods and trajectory analyses indicated that petrogenic sources from both proximal and distal origins play an important role in the level of PAHs. The results of chronic health risk evaluation via inhalation revealed that PM2.5-bound PAHs had high potential cancer risk in winter, while, the estimated risks for non-carcinogenic PAHs were not considerable. In the case of MPs, the assessment of human intake of MPs via inhalation highlighted the possible risks for habitants.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) , Health risk , Microplastics (MPs) , Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) , Possible relationship
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Systems Environmental Health and Energy Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health and Nutrition, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
Instrumental Analytical Chemistry and Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, Essen, Germany
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, 010000, Kazakhstan
Workplace Health Promotion Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Department of Health, Safety and Environment, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Systems Environmental Health and Energy Research Center
The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center
Department of Environmental Health Engineering
Instrumental Analytical Chemistry and Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU)
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering
Workplace Health Promotion Research Center
Department of Health
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