Quantitative cancer risk assessment and local mortality burden for ambient air pollution in an eastern Mediterranean City.

Abstract

Health risks posed by ambient air pollutants to the urban Lebanese population have not been well characterized. The aim of this study is to assess cancer risk and mortality burden of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) and particulates (PM) based on two field-sampling campaigns conducted during summer and winter seasons in Beirut. Seventy NMHCs were analyzed by TD-GC-FID. PM2.5 elemental carbon (EC) components were examined using a Lab OC-EC aerosol Analyzer, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were analyzed by GC-MS. The US EPA fraction-based approach was used to assess non-cancer hazard and cancer risk for the hydrocarbon mixture, and the UK Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) guidelines were followed to determine the PM2.5 attributable mortality burden. The average cumulative cancer risk exceeded the US EPA acceptable level (10-6) by 40-fold in the summer and 30-fold in the winter. Benzene was found to be the highest contributor to cancer risk (39-43%), followed by 1,3-butadiene (25-29%), both originating from traffic gasoline evaporation and combustion. The EC attributable average mortality fraction was 7.8-10%, while the average attributable number of deaths (AD) and years of life lost (YLL) were found to be 257-327 and 3086-3923, respectively. Our findings provide a baseline for future air monitoring programs, and for interventions aiming at reducing cancer risk in this population.

• Authors: Hassan R Dhaini, Thérèse Salameh, Antoine Waked, Stéphane Sauvage, Agnès Borbon, Paola Formenti, Jean-François Doussin, Nadine Locoge, Charbel Afif
• Journal: Environmental science and pollution research international (Environ Sci Pollut Res Int) Vol. 24 Issue 16 Pg. 14151-14162 (Jun 2017) ISSN: 1614-7499 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 28417329 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Air Pollutants
• Particulate Matter
• Vehicle Emissions
• Benzene

Topics

• Air Pollutants (toxicity)
• Air Pollution
• Benzene (toxicity)
• Cities
• Environmental Monitoring
• Humans
• Neoplasms (mortality)
• Particulate Matter
• Risk Assessment
• Vehicle Emissions (toxicity)