Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from domestic heating and cooking combustion of different fuel types for elders in rural China

Solid fuel combustion emitted abundant pollutants, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which had significant minus impact on human health in rural China. PAHs in PM_2.5 emitted from different fuels combustion and hydroxylated metabolites of PAHs (OH-PAHs) in urine samples of different fuel users were detected in this study. The indoor PAHs were higher than that in outdoors for solid fuel use households, and the concentration of PAHs in the indoor of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) use household was not much lower than solid fuel use households. Biogas-use household produced the lowest PAHs, which significantly reduced 64–82% compared with those emitted by solid fuel combustion. The different combustion conditions influenced the gaseous PAHs in indoors between two sampling sites. The gas/particle partition indicated that PAHs tended to occur in the particle phase with increased molecular weight, and the absorption was the main mechanism. The relative higher contribution of high molecular weight PAHs (HMW-PAHs) in solid fuel use households than in clean fuel use households, induced more health risks of PAHs. The concentration of Σ₁₀OH-PAHs in the urine samples for elders of different fuel-use households displayed the trend of coal (83.27 ng/mL) > wood (79.32 ng/mL) > LPG (51.61 ng/mL) > biogas (28.96 ng/mL), and OH-NaPs was the predominant metabolites, which accounted for more than 90% of the total concentration. The carcinogenic risk of PAHs based on internal exposure was greater than or close to 10⁻⁴, with serious carcinogenic risks. This was different with the incremental lifetime cancer risk based on the atmospheric concentrations. The exposure of PAHs from solid fuel combustion for human being especially for the elders in this region should be concerned, and more data should be done for the internal exposure of PAHs.