Characterisation and potential source identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric particles (PM10) from urban and suburban residential areas in Shiraz, Iran.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a generally hazardous class of organic compounds that are identified as toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic, and are considered to be a concern for human health because of their potential for causing adverse health effects. The present study aims to determine the atmospheric concentration and potential sources of particulate-bound PAHs in urban and suburban atmospheric particulate matter (PM10) in Shiraz, Iran. Ambient air samples were collected from urban and suburban areas using a SKC sampling pump equipped with a size-selective air intake during the spring of 2015. The mean PM10 concentration at the urban station (62.73 ± 23.38 μg m-3) was higher than that at the suburban station (60.88 ± 31.03 μg m-3). The mean (±SD) concentrations of the 16 total PAHs in the particulate phase were 19.28 ± 7.48 ng m-3and 17.80 ± 9.17 ng m-3 at the urban and suburban stations, respectively. Among different types of PAHs, phenanthrene had the highest concentration in both stations. Various diagnostic ratios have been suggested, which were used in this study for identification of PAHs' sources. The results of these diagnostics showed that in Shiraz, the most dominant sources of PAHs were traffic emissions, especially vehicle emissions and petroleum automobiles emissions.