Determination of benzo[a]pyrene levels in ambient air and the source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using a diagnostic ratio method in Ghana.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous contaminants produced from incomplete combustion of fuel or vegetation fires. Their presence in air deserves attention because they can produce carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. As an industrialized and economically significant city in Ghana, Kumasi has been subject to heavy anthropogenic influences due to rapid economic development and urbanization leading to a greater fuel combustion rate. Airborne particulate samples were collected on filters using a Sibata air sampler and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Our results indicated that air from the city center can be classified as highly polluted with benzo[a] pyrene (B[a]P). The diagnostic ratios of the results showed that PAHs in the air samples were mainly from fuel combustion.