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Jia SM, Chen MH, Yang PF, Wang L, Wang GY, Liu LY, Ma WL. Seasonal variations and sources of atmospheric EPFRs in a megacity in severe cold region: Implications for the influence of strong coal and biomass combustion. Environ Res 2024; 252:119067. [PMID: 38704002 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) can pose exposure risks by inducing the generation of reactive oxygen species. As a new class of pollutants, EPFRs have been frequently detected in atmospheric particulate matters. In this study, the seasonal variations and sources of EPFRs in a severe cold region in Northeastern China were comprehensively investigated, especially for the high pollution events. The geomean concentration of EPFRs in the total suspended particle was 6.58 × 1013 spins/m3 and the mean level in winter was one order of magnitude higher than summer and autumn. The correlation network analysis showed that EPFRs had significantly positive correlation with carbon component, K+ and PAHs, indicating that EPFRs were primarily emitted from combustion and pyrolysis process. The source appointment by the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model indicated that the dominant sources in the heating season were coal combustion (48.4%), vehicle emission (23.1%) and biomass burning (19.4%), while the top three sources in the non-heating season were others (41.4%), coal combustion (23.7%) and vehicle emissions (21.2%). It was found that the high EPFRs in cold season can be ascribed to the extensive use of fossil fuel for heating demand; while the high EPFRs occurred in early spring were caused by the large-scale opening combustion of biomass. In summary, this study provided important basic information for better understanding the pollution characteristics of EPFRs, which suggested that the implementation of energy transformation and straw utilization was benefit for the control of EPFRs in severe cold region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Ming Jia
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Mei-Hong Chen
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Pu-Fei Yang
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Liang Wang
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Guo-Ying Wang
- School of Petrochemical Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Li-Yan Liu
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Wan-Li Ma
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), Harbin, 150090, China.
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Zeng Y, Ma HM, Zhang QY, Tao L, Wang T, Wan C, Chen SJ, Mai BX. Complex polycyclic aromatic compound mixtures in PM 2.5 in a Chinese megacity: Spatio-temporal variations, toxicity, and source apportionment. Environ Int 2023; 179:108159. [PMID: 37607426 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) are important toxic organic components in fine particulate matter (PM2.5), whereas the links between PM2.5 toxicity and associated PACs in ambient air are poorly understood. This study investigated the spatial-temporal variations of PACs in PM2.5 collected from 11 sampling sites across a Chinese megacity and characterized the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and cytotoxicity induced by organic extracts of PM2.5 based on cellular assays. The extra trees regression model based on machine learning and ridge regression were used to identify the key toxicants among complex PAC mixtures. The total concentrations of these PACs varied from 2.12 to 71.7 ng/m3 across the study city, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the main PACs. The spatial variations of the toxicological indicators generally resembled those of the PAC concentrations, and the PM2.5 related to waste treatment facilities exhibited the strongest toxic potencies. The ROS generation was highly correlated with high molecular weight PAHs (MW302 PAHs), followed by PAHs with MW<302 amu and oxygenated PAHs, but not with nitrated PAHs and the plastics additives. The cell mortality showed weak correlations with these organic constituents. The associations between the biological endpoints and these PM2.5-bound contaminants were further confirmed by exposure to authentic chemicals. Four primary sources of PACs were identified, among which coal and biomass combustion sources (30.2% of the total PACs) and industrial sources (31.0%) were predominant. PACs emitted from industrial sources were highly associated with ROS generation in this city. Our findings highlight the potent ROS-generating potential of MW302 PAHs and the importance of industrial sources contributing to PM2.5 toxicity in this megacity, raising public concerns and further administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zeng
- School of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Hui-Min Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Qian-Yu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lin Tao
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Cong Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - She-Jun Chen
- School of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Bi-Xian Mai
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
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Jia SM, Wang DQ, Liu LY, Zhang ZF, Ma WL. Size-resolved environmentally persistent free radicals in cold region atmosphere: Implications for inhalation exposure risk. J Hazard Mater 2023; 443:130263. [PMID: 36332281 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Environmental persistent free radicals (EPFRs) have attracted more attentions recently due to their potential adverse effects to human. EPFRs in full-size range particles were comprehensively investigated in this study. The average EPFRs concentration during heating season was 3.01 × 1014 spins/m3, which was much higher than that in non-heating season (4.30 × 1013 spins/m3). The highest concentration of EPFRs presented in 0.56-1.0 µm particles during heating season, while it shifted to 5.6-10 µm particles during non-heating season. Besides, the contributions of EPFRs on PM>10 to the total concentration of EPFRs cannot be neglected, especially in the non-heating season. The International Commission on Radiological Protection model and the specific factors of the Chinese population were applied to evaluate the inhalation exposure risk of EPFRs. The results indicated that the exposure levels of EPFRs to the upper respiratory tract were much higher. The daily exposure dose of EPFRs suggested the inhalation exposure risk of 3-4 years old was higher than other age groups. In summary, these finding provided new insights for the full range particle size distribution and the inhalation exposure risk of EPFRs, which improved our understanding on the environmental fate and the health risk of EPFRs in atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Ming Jia
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), Harbin 150090, China
| | - De-Qi Wang
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), Harbin 150090, China
| | - Li-Yan Liu
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), Harbin 150090, China
| | - Zi-Feng Zhang
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), Harbin 150090, China
| | - Wan-Li Ma
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), Harbin 150090, China.
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Sun Y, Chen J, Qin W, Yu Q, Xin K, Ai J, Huang H, Liu X. Gas-PM 2.5 partitioning, health risks, and sources of atmospheric PAHs in a northern China city: Impact of domestic heating. Environ Pollut 2022; 313:120156. [PMID: 36096260 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The diurnal variation, gas-particle partitioning, health risks, and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in a northern basin city of China in winter, 2020. The mean concentrations of particulate and gaseous PAHs were 87.90 ng m-3 and 69.65 ng m-3, respectively, and their concentrations were considerably enhanced during the domestic heating period. The relationship between the gas-particle partitioning coefficient of PAHs (KP) and subcooled liquid vapor pressure of PAHs (PL0) indicated organic absorption as the mechanism for this partitioning. However, the dual sorption model confirmed adsorption onto elemental carbon (EC). The health risks indicated by several equivalent parameters showed an important health effect of PAHs, especially of particulate PAHs bound onto PM2.5 during the heating period. Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) were also studied as an auxiliary parameter to evaluate the health impact of PAHs. According to the diagnostic ratios of PAHs and PMF model results, petroleum volatilization and coal combustion were the dominant sources of particulate PAHs during the non-heating and heating periods, respectively. The source apportionment results can help efficiently control PAHs and their health risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuewei Sun
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Center of Atmospheric Environmental Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jing Chen
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Center of Atmospheric Environmental Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Weihua Qin
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Center of Atmospheric Environmental Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Qing Yu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Center of Atmospheric Environmental Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Ke Xin
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Center of Atmospheric Environmental Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jing Ai
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Center of Atmospheric Environmental Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Huiying Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Center of Atmospheric Environmental Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Xingang Liu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Center of Atmospheric Environmental Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
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He F, Lu J, Li Z, Li M, Liu Z, Tong Y. Characteristics of Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals in PM2.5 and the Influence of Air Pollutants in Shihezi, Northwestern China. Toxics 2022; 10:341. [PMID: 35878247 PMCID: PMC9321939 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10070341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) are a kind of hazardous substance that exist stably in the atmosphere for a long time. EPFRs combined with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can enter the human respiratory tract through respiration, causing oxidative stress and DNA damage, and they are also closely related to lung cancer. In this study, the inhalation risk for EPFRs in PM2.5 and factors influencing this risk were assessed using the equivalent number of cigarette tar EPFRs. The daily inhalation exposure for EPFRs in PM2.5 was estimated to be equivalent to 0.66–8.40 cigarette tar EPFRs per day. The concentration level and species characteristics were investigated using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The concentration of EPFRs in the study ranged from 1.353–4.653 × 1013 spins/g, and the types of EPFRs were mainly oxygen- or carbon-centered semiquinone-type radicals. Our study showed that there is a strong correlation between the concentrations of EPFRs and conventional pollutants, except for sulfur dioxide. The major factors influencing EPFR concentration in the atmosphere were temperature and wind speed; the higher the temperature and wind speed, the lower the concentration of EPFRs. The findings of this study provide an important basis for further research on the formation mechanism and health effects of EPFRs.
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