Atmospheric levels and health risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) bound to PM 2.5 in Guangzhou, China

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM2.5 contribute significantly to health risk. The objectives of this study were to assess the occurrence and variation in the concentrations and sources of PM2.5-bound PAHs sampled from the atmosphere of a typical southeastern Chinese city (Guangzhou) from June 2012 to May 2013, with the potential risks being investigated. The annual average concentration of PM2.5 was 64.88 μg m− 3. The annual average concentration of PAHs in PM2.5 was 33.89 ng m− 3. Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) was found to be the predominant PAH in all PM2.5 samples throughout the year, constituting approximately 8.78% of the total PAH content. The significant meteorological parameters for most of the PAHs were sunshine time, air pressure, and humidity, together representing 10.7–52.4% of the variance in atmospheric PAH concentrations. Motor-vehicle exhaust and coal combustion were probably the main sources of PAHs in PM2.5 in Guangzhou. The average inhalation cancer risk (ICR) for a lifetime of 70 years was 5.98 × 10− 4 (ranging from 8.39 × 10− 5 to 1.95 × 10− 3).