Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with molecular weight 302 in PM 2.5 at two industrial sites in South China

High molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (HMW-PAH) isomers: unveiling distinct toxic effects from cytotoxicity to oxidative stress-induced DNA damage

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent one of the most extensive classes of known carcinogenic and genotoxic compounds widely distributed across the globe. Particularly relevant to ecotoxicological studies is the possible presence of PAHs with molecular weight (MW) 302 Da. Since the toxicity of 302 Da PAHs differs significantly from isomer to isomer, understanding their relative toxicity is essential for assessing their potential risks to human health. This study investigates the toxic effects of micromolar concentrations of four HMW-PAHs isomers of MW = 302 Da, namely dibenzo(b,l)fluoranthene (DB(b,l)F), dibenzo(a,j)fluoranthene (DB(a,j)F), dibenzo(a,l)fluoranthene (DB(a,l)F) and naphtho(1-2j)fluoranthene (N(1-2j)F), upon exposure and metabolic activation in HepG2 cells. Appropriate assays were selected to investigate their potential to disrupt cellular viability and to induce cytotoxicity, apoptosis/necrosis, genotoxicity, and oxidative stress with DNA damage. After 48 h of exposure time, DB(a,l)F was the only isomer to reduce cellular viability in a concentration-dependent manner. In all cases, apoptosis was the main mechanism of HepG2 cell death, which could be induced by the significant DNA damage and an increase in 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) adduct level formation. The highest concentrations of DB(a,l)F tested exhibited the greatest potential to induce HepG2 DNA damage and 8-OHdG formation. Altogether, these facts demonstrate that the distinct arrangements of the atoms in HMW-PAHs isomers can impact on their toxic potential and that DB(a,l)F was the most toxic isomer evaluated in this study. These results shed light on the importance to thoroughly characterize MW302 PAHs to substantiate their human and environmental risk assessments.

Effects of Naphtho[2,1-a]pyrene Exposure on CYP1A1 Expression: An in Vivo and in Vitro Mechanistic Study Exploring the Role of m6A Posttranscriptional Modification

BACKGROUND

Currently, many emerging polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been found to be widely present in the environment. However, little has been reported about their toxicity, particularly in relation to CYP1A1.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the toxicity of naphtho[2,1-a]pyrene (N21aP) and elucidate the mechanism underlying N21aP-induced expression of CYP1A1.

METHODS

The concentration and sources of N21aP were detected and analyzed by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and diagnostic ratio analysis. Then the effects of CYP1A1 on the toxicity of N21aP were conducted in male wild-type (WT) and Cyp1a1 knockout mice exposed to N21aP (0.02, 0.2, and 2 mg / kg ) through intratracheal instillation. Further, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway was examined through luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A ) modification levels were measured on global RNA and specifically on CYP1A1 mRNA using dot blotting and methylated RNA immunoprecipitation-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (MeRIP qRT-PCR), with validation by m 6 A inhibitors, DAA and SAH. m 6 A sites on CYP1A1 were identified by bioinformatics and luciferase assays, and CYP1A1 mRNA's interaction with IGF2BP3 was confirmed by RNA pull-down, luciferase, and RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays.

RESULTS

N21aP was of the same environmental origin as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) but was more stably present in the environment. N21aP could be metabolically activated by CYP1A1 to produce epoxides, causing DNA damage and further leading to lung inflammation. Importantly, in addition to the classical AhR pathway (i.e., BaP), N21aP also induced CYP1A1 expression with a posttranscriptional modification of m 6 A in CYP1A1 mRNA via the METTL14-IGF2BP3-CYP1A1 axis. Specifically, in the two recognition sites of METTL14 on the CYP1A1 mRNA transcript (position at 2700 and 5218), a methylation site (position at 5218) in the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) was recognized by IGF2BP3, enhanced the stability of CYP1A1 mRNA, and finally resulted in an increase in CYP1A1 expression.

DISCUSSION

This study systematically demonstrated that in addition to AhR-mediated transcriptional regulation, N21aP, had a new additional mechanism of m 6 A -mediated posttranscriptional modification, jointly contributing to CYP1A1 expression. Given that PAHs are the metabolic substrates of CYP1A1, this study not only helps to understand the significance of environment-genetic interactions for the toxicity of PAHs but also helps to better understand the health risks of the emerging PAHs at environmental exposure levels. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14055.

Evaluation of the cancer risk from PAHs by inhalation: Are current methods fit for purpose?

There is ample evidence from occupational studies that exposure to a mixture of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) is causally associated with an increased incidence of lung cancers. In both occupational atmospheres and ambient air, PAHs are present as a mixture of many compounds, but the composition of the mixture in ambient air differs from that in the occupational atmosphere, and varies in time and space in ambient air. Estimates of cancer risk for PAH mixtures are based upon unit risks which derive from extrapolation of occupational exposure data or animal model data, and in the case of the WHO use one compound, benzo[a]pyrene as a marker for the entire mixture, irrespective of composition. The U.S. EPA has used an animal exposure study to derive a unit risk for inhalation exposure to benzo[a]pyrene alone, and there have been a number of rankings of relative carcinogenic potency for other PAHs which many studies have used to calculate a cancer risk from the PAHs mixture, frequently incorrectly by adding the estimated relative risks of individual compounds, and applying the total "B[a]P equivalent" to the WHO unit risk, which already applies to the entire mixture. Such studies are often based upon data solely for the historic US EPA group of 16 compounds which do not include many of the apparently more potent carcinogens. There are no data for human cancer risk of individual PAHs, and conflicting evidence of additivity of PAH carcinogenicity in mixtures. This paper finds large divergences between risk estimates deriving from the WHO and U.S. EPA methods, as well as considerable sensitivity to the mixture composition, and assumed PAH relative potencies. Of the two methods, the WHO approach appears more likely to provide reliable risk estimates, but recently proposed mixture-based approaches using in vitro toxicity data may offer some advantages.

PM-bound polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in two large-scale petrochemical bases in South China: Spatial variations, sources, and risk assessment

Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) are potential pollutants emitted from the petrochemical industry, whereas their occurrence and sources in petrochemical regions are still poorly known. The present study revealed the spatial variations, compositional profiles, sources and contributions, and health risks of PM-bound PACs in two large-scale petrochemical bases (GDPB and HNPB) in South China. The concentrations of parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were 7.14 ± 3.16 ng/m³ for ∑₁₈PAHs and 0.608 ± 0.294 ng/m³ for the PAHs with molecular weight of 302 amu (MW302 PAHs) in the GDPB base and 2.55 ± 1.26 ng/m³ and 0.189 ± 0.088 ng/m³ in the HNPB base. Oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs) showed comparable concentrations to the parent PAHs in both the bases and nitrated PAHs (NPAHs) had the lowest mean levels (260 pg/m³ and 59.4 pg/m³ in the two regions). Coronene, 2,8-dinitrodibenzothiophene, and dibenzo[a,e]fluoranthene showed remarkably higher contributions to the PAC and can be PAC markers of the petrochemical industry source. Five sources of PACs were identified respectively in both petrochemical bases by the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. The vehicle (and ship) traffic exhaust was the primary source of PACs (contributed 33% to the ∑PACs), and the sources related to the coking of coal and heavy petroleum and refinery exhaust were identified in both bases, with contributions of 10-20%. PACs in GDPB also contributed from secondary atmospheric reactions (17.3%) and the usage of sulfur-containing fuels (20.9%), while the aromatics industry made a significant contribution (20.1%) to the PACs in the HNPB region. The cumulative incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCRs) induced by inhalation of PM-bound PACs in both petrochemical bases were low (10^-8-10^-6). For the sources related to the petrochemical industry, coking activities and the aromatic industry were the significant contributors to the ∑ILCRs in GDPB and HNPB, respectively. This research has implications for further source-targeted control and health risk reduction of PACs in petrochemical regions.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): Updated aspects of their determination, kinetics in the human body, and toxicity

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are legacy pollutants of considerable public health concern. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons arise from natural and anthropogenic sources and are ubiquitously present in the environment. Several PAHs are highly toxic to humans with associated carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Further, more severe harmful effects on human- and environmental health have been attributed to the presence of high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs, that is PAHs with molecular mass greater than 300 Da. However, more research has been conducted using low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs). In addition, no HMW PAHs are on the priority pollutants list of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), which is limited to only 16 PAHs. However, limited analytical methodologies for separating and determining HMW PAHs and their potential isomers and lack of readily available commercial standards make research with these compounds challenging. Since most of the PAH kinetic data originate from animal studies, our understanding of the effects of PAHs on humans is still minimal. In addition, current knowledge of toxic effects after exposure to PAHs may be underrepresented since most investigations focused on exposure to a single PAH. Currently, information on PAH mixtures is limited. Thus, this review aims to critically assess the current knowledge of PAH chemical properties, their kinetic disposition, and toxicity to humans. Further, future research needs to improve and provide the missing information and minimize PAH exposure to humans.

Occurrence and fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from electronic waste dismantling activities: A critical review from environmental pollution to human health

Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest-growing solid wastes and has become an urgent issue due to the potential adverse consequences of exposure to emitted toxic pollutants, especially for these occupational exposed workers and local residents. In this review, the environmental occurrences, emission characteristics, sources, and possible adverse effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emitted from primitive e-waste dismantling activities are summarized. In general, the atmospheric levels of PAHs at typical e-waste sites, e.g., in Guiyu, China, have substantially decreased by more than an order of magnitude compared with levels a decade ago. The PAH concentrations in soil from old e-waste sites in China are also generally lower than those at newly emerged e-waste sites in India, Pakistan and Ghana. However, elevated concentrations of PAHs have been reported in human milk, hair and urine from the populations near these e-waste sites. Source apportionment both from bench-scale studies to field observations has demonstrated that the pyrolysis and combustion processing of electronic circuit board are mainly responsible for the emissions of various PAHs. In addition, some specific PAHs and their derivatives, such as triphenylbenzene, halogenated and oxygenated PAHs, have frequently been identified and could be considered as indicators in routine analysis in addition to the 16 U.S. EPA priority PAHs currently used.

Environmental six-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are potent inducers of the AhR-dependent signaling in human cells

The toxicities of many environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in particular those of high-molecular-weight PAHs (with MW higher than 300), remain poorly characterized. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of selected environmentally relevant PAHs with MW 302 (MW302 PAHs) to activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), since this represents a major toxic mode of action of PAHs. A large number of the evaluated compounds exhibited strong AhR-mediated activities, in particular in human models. The studied MW302 PAHs also significantly contributed to the overall calculated AhR activities of complex environmental mixtures, including both defined standard reference materials and collected diesel exhaust particles. The high AhR-mediated activities of representative MW302 PAHs, e.g. naphtho[1,2-k]fluoranthene, corresponded with the modulation of expression of relevant AhR target genes in a human lung cell model, or with the AhR-dependent suppression of cell cycle progression/proliferation in estrogen-sensitive cells. This was in a marked contrast with the limited genotoxicity of the same compound(s). Given the substantial levels of the AhR-activating MW302 PAHs in combustion particles, it seems important to continue to investigate the toxic modes of action of this large group of PAHs associated with airborne particulate matter.

Workflow for Comparison of Chemical and Biological Metrics of Filter Collected PM2.5

There is limited understanding of adverse health effect associations with chemical constituents of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) as well as the underlying mechanisms. We outlined a workflow to assess metrics, beyond concentration, using household and personal PM2.5 filter samples collected in India as a proof of concept for future large-scale studies. Oxidative potential, chemical composition (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and elements), and bioactivity (developmental exposures in zebrafish) were determined. Significant differences were observed in all metrics between personal and household PM2.5 samples. This work established methods to characterize multiple metrics of PM2.5 to ultimately support the identification of more health-relevant metrics than concentration.

Occurrence, source, and risk assessment of atmospheric parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the coastal cities of the Bohai and Yellow Seas, China

Parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PPAHs) in the ambient air of the coastal cities near the Bohai and Yellow Seas were measured over a full year. The range and geometric average of total PPAH₂₉ (29 species) were 5.16-1.22 × 10³ and 118 ng/m³, respectively, with 77 ± 14% in a gaseous phase. The 16 priority components accounted for 90 ± 4% of the total mass concentration. The incremental life cancer risk (ILCR) via inhalation exposure to the PPAHs (3.17 × 10^-4) was underestimated by 80%, as only the priority PPAHs were considered. The air concentrations of PPAHs in the Bohai Sea area were generally higher (p < 0.01) than those in the Yellow Sea area. A significant increase (p < 0.01) in the levels of PPAHs and large fractions of high molecular weight (HMW) components were observed in winter. Absorption by particulate organic carbon dominated in gas-particle partitioning of the PPAHs, and the seasonal variations in gas-particle partitioning of the low and moderate molecular weight compounds were more noticeable relative to the HMW species. In summer, significantly higher concentrations of PPAHs were found in the daytime than during nighttime, while the opposite case occurred in winter (p < 0.05). The positive matrix factorization (PMF) results indicated greater contributions of coal and biomass combustion to the PPAH emissions in the coastal cities of the Bohai Sea area compared with the Yellow Sea area. The burning of coal and biomass served as the main source of PPAHs in winter, while traffic exhaust was the dominant source in other seasons. The potential source contribution function (PSCF) revealed the important impacts of the external inputs on the local PPAHs via air mass transport. The contributions of the resolved emission sources to the ILCR were clearly different from those of the mass concentrations, indicating the necessity for source-oriented risk assessments.

Formation of PAH Derivatives and Increased Developmental Toxicity during Steam Enhanced Extraction Remediation of Creosote Contaminated Superfund Soil

Steam enhanced extraction (SEE) is an in situ thermal remediation technique used to remove and recover polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from contaminated soils. However, limited studies have been conducted on the formation of PAH derivatives during and after SEE of PAH contaminated soils. Creosote contaminated soil samples collected from the Wyckoff-Eagle Harbor Superfund site were remediated with laboratory scale SEE. The samples were quantified for unsubstituted PAHs and their derivatives and assessed for developmental toxicity, pre- and post-SEE. Following SEE, unsubstituted PAH concentrations decreased, while oxygenated PAH concentrations increased in soil and aqueous extracts. Differences in developmental toxicity were also measured and linked to the formation of PAH derivatives. Additive toxicity was measured when comparing unfractionated extracts to fractionated extracts in pre- and post-SEE samples. SEE is effective in removing unsubstituted PAHs from contaminated soil, but other, potentially more toxic, PAH derivatives are formed.

Identification of polar transformation products and high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated soil following bioremediation

Bioremediation is a technique commonly used to reduce the toxicity associated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated soils. However, the efficacy of bioremedial applications is evaluated based on the removal of a subset of parent (or unsubstituted) PAHs and does not incorporate toxic polar transformation products or the more mutagenic high molecular weight PAHs (MW≥302amu or MW302-PAHs). Previously, an effects-directed analysis approach was used to assess the effect of bioremediation on the toxicity of a coal tar-contaminated soil. Increased genotoxicity and developmental toxicity was measured postbioremedation in the more polar soil extract fractions, as compared to the less polar fractions where the targeted PAHs eluted, and could not be attributed to the 88 target PAHs analyzed for (including selected oxygen-containing PAHs). In this study, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight and liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used to characterize transformation products in the soil extract fractions identified as toxic, previously. Additionally, the degradation of 12MW302-PAHs, picene (MW=278) and coronene (MW=300) were evaluated following bioremediation. Non-targeted analysis resulted in the tentative identification of 10 peaks with increased intensity postbioremediation (based on mass spectral library matching and fragmentation patterns from >5000 candidate peaks in the soil extracts). Several of these compounds contained oxygen, suggesting they would be relatively polar. MW302-PAHs were not significantly degraded during bioremediation, suggesting that the carcinogenic potential associated with these PAHs might remain unchanged. The results of this study suggest that polar transformation products, and MW302-PAHs, should be considered for realistic risk assessment of bioremediated soils.

Source-oriented risk assessment of inhalation exposure to ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and contributions of non-priority isomers in urban Nanjing, a megacity located in Yangtze River Delta, China

Sixteen U.S. EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and eleven non-priority isomers including some dibenzopyrenes were analyzed to evaluate health risk attributable to inhalation exposure to ambient PAHs and contributions of the non-priority PAHs in a megacity Nanjing, east China. The annual average mass concentration of the total 16 EPA priority PAHs in air was 51.1 ± 29.8 ng/m³, comprising up to 93% of the mass concentration of all 27 PAHs, however, the estimated Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) due to inhalation exposure would be underestimated by 63% on average if only accounting the 16 EPA priority PAHs. The risk would be underestimated by 13% if only particulate PAHs were considered, though gaseous PAHs made up to about 70% of the total mass concentration. During the last fifteen years, ambient Benzo[a]pyrene decreased significantly in the city which was consistent with the declining trend of PAHs emissions. Source contributions to the estimated ILCR were much different from the contributions for the total mass concentration, calling for the introduce of important source-oriented risk assessments. Emissions from gasoline vehicles contributed to 12% of the total mass concentration of 27 PAHs analyzed, but regarding relative contributions to the overall health risk, gasoline vehicle emissions contributed 45% of the calculated ILCR. Dibenzopyrenes were a group of non-priority isomers largely contributing to the calculated ILCR, and vehicle emissions were probably important sources of these high molecular weight isomers. Ambient dibenzo[a,l]pyrene positively correlated with the priority PAH Benzo[g,h,i]perylene. The study indicates that inclusion of non-priority PAHs could be valuable for both PAH source apportionment and health risk assessment.

Time to Say Goodbye to the 16 EPA PAHs? Toward an Up-to-Date Use of PACs for Environmental Purposes

The 16 EPA PAHs have played an exceptionally large role above all in environmental and analytical sciences in the last 40 years, but now there are good reasons to question their utility in many circumstances even though their use is so established and comfortable. Here we review the reasons why the list has been so successful and why sometimes it is seen as less relevant. Three groups of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) are missing: larger and highly relevant PAHs, alkylated PACs, and compounds containing heteroatoms. Attempts to improve the situation for certain matrixes are known and here: (1) an updated list of PAHs (including the 16 EPA PAHs) for the evaluation of the toxicity in the environment (40 EnvPAHs); (2) a list of 23 NSO-heterocyclic compounds and 6 heterocyclic metabolites; and (3) lists of 10 oxy-PAHs and 10 nitro-PAHs are proposed for practical use in the future. A discussion in the scientific community about these lists is invited. Although the state of knowledge has improved dramatically since the introduction of the 16 EPA PAHs in the 1970s, this summary also shows that more research is needed about the toxicity, occurrence in the environment and chemical analysis, particularly of alkylated PAHs, higher molecular weight PAHs and substituted PACs such as amino-PAHs, cyano-PAHs, etc.. We also suggest that a long overdue discussion of an update of regulatory environmental PAH analysis is initiated.

Haze insights and mitigation in China: an overview

The present article provides an overview of the chemical and physical features of haze in China, focusing on the relationship between haze and atmospheric fine particles, and the formation mechanism of haze. It also summarizes several of control technologies and strategies to mitigate the occurrence of haze. The development of instruments and the analysis of measurements of ambient particles and precursor concentrations have provided important information about haze formation. Indeed, the use of new instruments has greatly facilitated current haze research in China. Examples of insightful results include the relationship between fine particles and haze, the chemical compositions and sources of particles, the impacts of the aging process on haze formation, and the application of technologies that control the formation of haze. Based on these results, two relevant issues need to be addressed: understanding the relationship between haze and fine particles and understanding how to control PM2.5.

Inhalation cancer risk associated with exposure to complex polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures in an electronic waste and urban area in South China

Atmospheric particulate matter samples were collected from May 2010 to April 2011 in a rural e-waste area and in Guangzhou, South China, to estimate the lifetime inhalation cancer risk from exposure to parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), high molecular weight PAHs (MW 302 PAHs), and halogenated PAHs (HPAHs). Seasonal variations in the PAH concentrations and profiles within and between the e-waste and urban areas indicated different PAH sources in the two areas. Benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, dibenz[ah]anthracene, and dibenzo[al]pyrene made the most significant contribution to the inhalation cancer risk. MW 302 PAHs accounted for 18.0% of the total cancer risk in the e-waste area and 13.6% in the urban area, while HPAHs made a minor contribution (<0.1%) in both the areas. The number of lifetime excess lung cancers due to exposure to parent PAHs, MW 302 PAHs, and HPAHs ranged from 15.1 to 1198 per million people in the e-waste area and from 9.3 to 737 per million people in Guangzhou. PAH exposure accounted for 0.02 to 1.94% of the total lung cancer cases in Guangzhou. On average, the inhalation cancer risk in the e-waste area was 1.6 times higher than in the urban area. The e-waste dismantling activities in South China led to higher inhalation cancer risk due to PAH exposure than the urban area.

Determination of benzo[a]pyrene and dibenzopyrenes in a Chinese coal fly ash certified reference material

Air pollution from coal combustion is of great concern in China because coal is the country's principal source of energy and it has been estimated that coal combustion is one of the main sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions in the nation. This study reports the concentrations of 15 PAHs including benzo[a]pyrene, dibenzo[a,l]pyrene, dibenzo[a,e]pyrene, dibenzo[a,i]pyrene and dibenzo[a,h]pyrene in a coal fly ash certified reference material (CRM) from China. To the best of our knowledge, dibenzo[a,l]pyrene, dibenzo[a,i]pyrene and dibenzo[a,h]pyrene concentrations in coal fly ash particles have not previously been reported. Benzo[a]pyrene is the only one of the studied hydrocarbons whose concentration in the coal fly ash CRM had previously been certified. The concentration of this species measured in this present work was twice the certified value. This is probably because of the exhaustive accelerated solvent extraction method employed. Consecutive extractions indicated an extraction recovery in excess of 95% for benzo[a]pyrene. For the other determined PAHs, repeat extractions indicated recoveries above 90%.

Sampling and analytical methods for assessing the levels of organic pollutants in the atmosphere: PAH, phthalates and psychotropic substances: a short review

This short review presents the procedures used to monitor PAHs, phthalates and psychotropic substances in the air, and the results of some measurements made in Italy and abroad. Organic contaminants are characterized by a variety of physical and chemical properties, including aggregation phase, concentration level, and life time. This variety widens the spectrum of procedures developed to assess their occurrence in the environment and biota, but prevents the complete speciation of the "organic fraction" of air, waters and particulates, and attention is paid to a few substances. The progress in health sciences stimulates the concern on contaminants and the development of new instrumental apparatuses and methods; new chemicals are continuously identified or recognized as capable of injuring the environment and organisms. Persistent organic pollutants and persistent biologically active toxicants are subject to regulation and extensively measured by means of standard procedures. For instance, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorobiphenyls and polychlorodibenzodioxins are recovered from air through phase partition, thermal desorption or solvent extraction, then separated and detected through GC-MS or HPLC-MS procedures. By contrast, dedicated methods must be still optimized to monitor candidates or possible candidates as emerging organic pollutants, e.g. phthalates, flame retardants and perfluoroalkanes. Also, psychotropic substances appear of potential concern. Legal and illicit substances are commonly detected in the urban air besides waste and surface waters. If nicotine, caffeine and cocaine will result to enough persistence in the air, their monitoring will become an important issue of global chemical watching in the next future.