Objectives To investigate the seasonal pollution characteristics and carry out a health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient PM2.5 in Chengguan district of Lanzhou.
Methods Chengguan district of Lanzhou was selected as the sampling site. A total of 84 ambient air samples were collected periodically from January to December 2015, and the concentrations of PAHs in PM2.5 were determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
Results The concentrations of total PAHs ranged from 3.64 to 268.23 ng/m3 in 2015 and followed the descending order: winter > autumn > spring > summer. In different seasons, the three to five rings PAHs occupied the largest proportion in total PAHs. Through health risk assessment of PAHs, it was found that excess lifetime cancer risks of PAHs from breathing exposure for adults have all exceeded the maximum acceptable risk level, but the excess lifetime cancer risk of children were at an acceptable level.
Conclusions The pollution of PAHs in ambient air of Lanzhou was serious that may cause carcinogenic risk to some extent to people who are exposed to this environment for a long time.
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