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The present work aimed to assess exposure of preschool children to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by environmental monitoring (eighteen compounds in air) and biomonitoring (six urinary biomarkers of exposure (OH-PAHs)). The impact of preschool indoor air on excretion of urinary monohydroxyl metabolites was also evaluated. Gaseous and particulate-bound PAHs were simultaneously collected indoors and outdoors in two Portuguese preschools. PAHs and OH-PAHs were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence and photodiode array detection. Total air (gaseous + total suspended particles) levels of PAHs (ΣPAHs) were higher indoors than outdoors. Gaseous phase (composed by ≥98% of 2–3 rings compounds) and particulate-bound PAHs (90–99% of 5–6 rings) accounted for 93–95% and 5–7% of ΣPAHs in indoor air, respectively. Total (including probable/possible) carcinogenic PAHs represented 26–45% of ΣPAHs; naphthalene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene were the strongest contributors. A similar distribution profile was observed between airborne PAHs and urinary OH-PAHs. Urinary 1-hydroxynaphthalene + 1-hydroxyacenaphthene represented more than 78% of ΣOH-PAHs, being followed by 2-hydroxyfluorene, 1-hydroxypyrene, and 1-hydroxyphenanthrene. 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (PAH biomarker of carcinogenicity) was not detected. Results suggest that children had preschool indoor air as their major exposure source of naphthalene and acenaphthene, while no conclusion was reached regarding fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited information about wildland firefighters’ exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), being scarce studies that included the impact of tobacco consumption. Thus, this work evaluated the individual and cumulative impacts of firefighting activities and smoking on wildland firefighters’ total exposure to PAHs. Six urinary PAH metabolites (1-hydroxynaphthalene (1OHNaph), 1-hydroxyacenaphthene (1OHAce), 2-hydroxyfluorene (2OHFlu), 1-hydroxyphenanthrene (1OHPhen), 1-hydroxypyrene (1OHPy), and 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (3OHB[a]P)) were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Firefighters from three fire stations were characterized and organized in three groups: non-smoking and non-exposed to fire emissions (NSNExp), smoking non-exposed (SNExp), and smoking exposed (SExp) individuals. 1OHNaph + 1OHAce were the most predominant OH-PAHs (66–91% ∑OH-PAHs), followed by 2OHFlu (2.8–28%), 1OHPhen (1.3–7%), and 1OHPy (1.4–6%). 3OHB[a]P, the carcinogenicity PAH biomarker, was not detected. Regular consumption of tobacco increased 76–412% ∑OH-PAHs. Fire combat activities promoted significant increments of 158–551% ∑OH-PAHs. 2OHFlu was the most affected compound by firefighting activities (111–1068%), while 1OHNaph + 1OHAce presented the more pronounced increments due to tobacco consumption (22–339%); 1OHPhen (76–176%) and 1OHPy (20–220%) were the least influenced ones. OH-PAH levels of SExp firefighters were significantly higher than in other groups, suggesting that these subjects may be more vulnerable to develop and/or aggravate diseases related with PAHs exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]