Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): Sources, Detection and Health Effects
A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality and Human Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 May 2022) | Viewed by 4874
Special Issue Editors
Interests: air pollution; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; aerosol particles; toxicology; exposure; organic compounds; legislation
Interests: environmental analytical chemistry; heavy metal contamination; indoor air quality; ambient air analysis; particulate matter pollution; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAHs) analysis; oxidative stress and bioreactivity analysis; low temperature chemistry
Interests: environmental impact assessment; environmental analysis; environment; soil; environmental science; environmental analytical chemistry; minerals; environmental management; soil analysis; water quality
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) constitute a diverse class of compounds that consist of two or more fused aromatic rings made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms. PAHs are semi-volatile to volatile compounds and can therefore be found both in the gaseous phase and bound to particles in ambient air. They are hydrophobic molecules with high toxicity and environmental persistence. Harmful potency varies among individual PAHs, and many of them are known carcinogens, mutagenic agents, respiratory irritants and bioaccumulative toxicants.
PAHs are formed mainly during the carbonization and incomplete combustion of organic materials, both fossil fuels and biomass. The major sources of ambient PAH concentrations are power production, gasoline and diesel engine vehicles, waste incineration, iron and steel production, aluminum production, cement manufacturing, dye or rubber tire manufacturing, asphalt industries, as well as fungicide and insecticide production. Due to their potentially carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic nature, their concentration and distribution in environmental components are extensively investigated worldwide for assessing the total human exposure to PAH.
The atmosphere is a major pathway for the transport and deposition of PAHs. The removal rate of semi-volatile organic compounds by wet and dry deposition is controlled in part by their distribution between particle and gas phases. The meteorological conditions influence the distribution of PAHs in the gaseous and particulate phases and their transfer to water, soil, plants, and other organisms.
In this context, this Special Issue is initiated to be a forum for information exchange on the presence and variability of PAH concentrations in different parts of the world, and aims to cover the following research aspects:
- Partitioning model of PAHs between gaseous and particulate phases;
- Distribution and emission sources of PAHs in ambient air;
- Atmospheric PAHs and meteorological conditions;
- The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pollution index prediction of urban air;
- Inhalation exposure to PAHs;
- PAHs in the atmosphere: health risk assessment.
Prof. Dr. Joanna Rakowska
Dr. Ka Hei LUI
Prof. Dr. Marzena Rachwał
Guest Editors
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