Iran Occupational Health

  Background and aims: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of organic compounds that are produced during the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and petroleum products and are widely spread in the environment. Newsagents may be exposed to urban pollutions such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The aim of this study was to assess the breathing zone exposure of newsagents to PAHs in Tehran during the cold and warm seasons.

  Methods: Eight substances were selected as indicators of PAHs pollution in urban air and exhaust of vehicles. Personal sampling was performed in gas and particulate phases according to the NIOSH 5515 method by using XAD-2 adsorbent and PTFE filter (37 mm). Samples were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

  Results: Benzo [a] anthracene had the highest concentration among all PAHs in the breathing zone air of newsagents in the warm and cold periods. Benzo [ghi] perylene had the lowest values in both seasons. Results of the Mann-Whitney test showed that breathing zone concentration of all PAHs except Benzo [ghi] perylene (P-Value = 0.089) had significant associations with seasonal variations.

   Conclusion: Although Newsagents had significant exposure to PAHs however, the level of exposure in all monitoring stations was less than exposure limit values. PAHs breathing zone exposure was depending on the seasonal variation and greater concentration of PAHs was described in the cold period.