Assessment of Benzo(a)pyrene-equivalent Carcinogenicity and Mutagenicity of Residential Indoor versus Outdoor Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Exposing Young Children in New York City

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Kyung Hwa Jung²  Beizhan Yan¹  Steven N. Chillrud¹  Frederica P. Perera³  Robin Whyatt³  David Camann⁴  Patrick L. Kinney³ 

[1] Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, 61 Rt, 9W Palisades, NY 10964, USA; E-Mails:;Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, PH8E, 630 W. 168 St. New York, NY 10032, USA; E-Mail:;Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, 60 Haven Ave., B-1 New York, NY 10032, USA; E-Mails:;Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78228, USA; E-Mail:

关键词: risk assessment;    PAH;    BaP-equivalents;    TEF;    MEF;    heating season;    indoor;    outdoor;    and children;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph7051889

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The application of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP)-toxic equivalent factor to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) concentrations can provide a more accurate risk assessment from environmental exposure to PAH. We hypothesized that BaP-equivalent toxicity determined following residential air monitoring among young urban children may vary by season. Residential indoor and outdoor air levels of PAH measured over two-weeks in a cohort of 5–6 year old children (n = 260) in New York City were normalized to the cancer and mutagen potency equivalent factor of BaP (BaP = 1). Data are presented as carcinogenic equivalents (BaP-TEQ) and mutagenic equivalents (BaP-MEQ) for the sum of 8 PAH (Σ₈PAH; MW ≥ 228) and individual PAH and compared across heating versus nonheating seasons. Results show that heating compared to nonheating season was associated significantly with higher (BaP-TEQ)_Σ8PAH and (BaP-MEQ)_Σ8PAH both indoors and outdoors (p < 0.001). Outdoor (BaP-TEQ)_Σ8PAH and (BaP-MEQ)_Σ8PAH were significantly higher than the corresponding indoor measures during the heating season (p < 0.01). These findings suggest that at levels encountered in New York City air, especially during the heating season, residential exposure to PAH may pose an increased risk of cancer and mutation.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2010 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland.