Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Road Dust Collected from Myanmar, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam

  • Published:
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, we determined the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in road dust from Myanmar, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. PAHs were detected in urban and rural areas of Myanmar at mean concentrations of 630 ng/g dry weight and 200 ng/g dry weight, respectively. PAHs were also detected in road dust from Vietnam (mean 1700 ng/g) and Taiwan (2400 ng/g). PAH diagnostic ratios suggested that fossil fuel vehicular exhaust and biomass combustion are major sources of PAHs in road dust in Myanmar. Road dust samples from Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam had similar PAH diagnostic ratios, implying that PAH sources are similar. We assessed the human health risks posed by PAHs in road dust using carcinogenic equivalents (CEQs) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR). Mean CEQs were decreased in the order Taiwan (173 ng/g) > Vietnam (162 ng/g for Hanoi) > Myanmar (42 and 31 ng/g for Yangon and Pathein, respectively) > Japan (30 ng/g for Kumamoto). Benz[a]pyrene, fluoranthene, and benzo[b]fluoranthene, the predominant PAHs, contributed > 70% of total CEQs. High ILCR values were found for Taiwan (5.9 × 10−4 and 9.9 × 10−4 for children and adults, respectively) and Vietnam (6.5 × 10−4 and 9.2 × 10−4 for children and adults, respectively, in Hanoi), indicating that PAHs in road dust pose cancer risks to the inhabitants of Taiwan and Hanoi. To our knowledge, this is the first report to identify PAH pollution in the environment and to evaluate the human health risks of these PAHs in Myanmar.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alves CA, Vicente AM, Custodio D, Cerqueira M, Nunes T, Pio C, Lucarelli F, Calzolai G, Nava S, Diapouli E, Eleftheriadis K, Querol X, Bandowe BAM (2017) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives (nitro-PAHs, oxygenated PAHs, and azarenes) in PM 2.5 from Southern European cities. Sci Total Environ 595:494–504

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bacquart T, Frisbie S, Mitchell E, Grigg L, Cole C, Small C, Sarkar B (2015) Multiple inorganic toxic substances contaminating the groundwater of Myingyan Township, Myanmar: Arsenic, manganese, fluoride iron, and uranium. Sci Total Environ 517:232–245

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baumard P, Budzinski H, Garrigues P (1998) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments and mussels of the western Mediterranean Sea. Environ Toxicol Chem 17:765–776

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chiang K, Chio C, Chinang Y, Lia C (2009) Assessing hazardous risks of human exposure of temple airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. J Hazard Mater 166:167–685

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dang CV, Day RS, Selwyn B, Maldonado YM, Nguyen KC, Le TD, Le MB (2010) Initiating BMI prevalence studies in Vietnamese children: changes in a transitional economy. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 19:209–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Durant J, Busby J, Lafleur A, Penman B, Crespi C (1996) Human-cell mutagenicity of oxygenated, nitrated and unsubstituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with urban aerosols. Mutat Res Genet Toxicol 371:123–157

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira-Baptista L, De Miguel E (2005) Geochemistry and risk assessment of street dust in Luanda, Angola: a tropical urban environment. Atmos Environ 39:4501–4512

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grimmer G, Jacob J, Naujack K, Dettbarn G (1983) Determination of polycyclic aromatic compounds emitted from brown-coal-fired residential stoves by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Anal Chem 55:892–900

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hassanien M, Abdel-Latif M (2008) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in road dust over Greater Cairo. Egypt J Hazard Mater 151:247–254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hite RA, Laflamme RE, Windsor JG, Farrington JW, Deuser WG (1980) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in an anoxic sediment core from the Pettaquamscutt River (Rhode Island, USA). Geochim Cosmochim Acta 44:873–878

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jia J, Bi C, Guo X, Wang X, Zhou X (2017) Characteristics, identification, and potential risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in road dusts and agricultural soils from industrial sites in Shanghai, China. Environ Sci Pollut 24:605–615

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang Y, Hu X, Yves UJ, Zhan H, Wu Y (2014) Status, source and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in street dust of an industrial city, NW China. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 106:11–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khan MF, Hwa SW, Hou LC, Mustaffa NIH, Amil N, Mohamad N, Sahani M, Jaafar SA, Nadzir MSM, Latif MT (2017) Influences of inorganic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the sources of PM2.5 in the Southeast Asian urban sites. Air Qual Atmos Health 10:999–1013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khanal R, Furumai H, Nakajima F, Yoshimura C (2018) Carcinogenic profile, toxicity and source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons accumulated from urban road dust in Tokyo, Japan. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 165:440–449

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Knafla A, Phillips KA, Brecher RW, Petrovic S, Richardson M (2006) Development of a dermal cancer slope factor for benzo[a]pyrene. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 45:159–168

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Larsen JC, Larsen PB (1998) Chemical carcinogens. In: Hester RE, Harrison RM (eds) Air pollution and health. The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, pp 33–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee BK, Dong TT (2010) Effects of road characteristics on distribution and toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban road dust of Ulsan, Korea. J Hazard Mater 175:540–550

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liao CM, Chiang KC (2006) Probabilistic risk assessment for personal exposure to carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Taiwanese temples. Chemosphere 63:1610–1619

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin TC, Chang FH, Hsieh JH, Chao HR, Chao MR (2002) Characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and total suspended particulate in indoor and outdoor atmosphere of Taiwanese temple. J Hazard Mater 95:1–12

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakata H, Uehara K, Goto Y, Fukumura M, Shimasaki H, Takikawa K, Miyawaki T (2014) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in oysters and sediments from Yatsushiro Sea, Japan: comparison of potential risks among PAHs, dioxins and dioxin-like compounds in benthic organisms. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 99:61–68

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen TC, Loganathan P, Nguyen TV, Vigneswaran S, Kandasamy J, Slee D, Stevenson G, Naidu R (2014) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in road deposited sediments, water sediments, and soils in Sydney, Australia: comparisons of concentration distribution, sources and potential toxicity. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 104:339–348

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • OEHHA (2009) Technical support document for cancer potency factors. Appendix A : hot spots unit risk and cancer potency values A-1

  • Peng C, Chen W, Liao X, Wang M, Ouyang Z, Jiao W, Bai Y (2011) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban soils of Beijing: status, sources, distribution and potential risk. Environ Pollut 154:802–808

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ravindra K, Sokhi R, Vangrieken R (2008) Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: source attribution, emission factors and regulation. Atmos Environ 42:2895–2921

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saeedi M, Li LY, Salmanzadeh M (2012) Heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: pollution and ecological risk assessment in street dust of Tehran. J Hazard Mater 227–228:9–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schauer JJ, Rogge WF, Hildemann LM, Mazurek MA, Cass GR, Simoneit BR (1996) Source apportionment of airborne particulate matter using organic compounds as tracers. Atmos Environ 30:3837–3855

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sjogren M, Li H, Rannug U, Westerholm R (1996) Multivariate analysis of exhaust emissions from heavy-duty diesel fuels. Environ Sci Technol 30:38–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takada H, Onda T, Harada M, Ogura N (1991) Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in street dust from the Tokyo Metropolitan area. Sci Total Environ 107:45–66

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tuyen LH, Tue NM, Suzuki G, Misaki K, Viet PH, Takahashi S, Tanabe S (2014) Aryl hydrocarbon receptor mediated activities in road dust from a metropolitan area, Hanoi Vietnam: Contribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and human risk assessment. Sci Total Environ 491–492:246–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (1991) Risk assessment guidance for superfund: volume I—human health evaluation manual (part b, development of risk-based preliminary remediation goals). US Environ Prot Agency, Washington, DC [9285.7-01B. EPA/540/R-92/003]

  • USEPA (1993) Provisional guidance for quantitative risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons EPA/600/R-93/089

  • USEPA (2002) Supplemental guidance for developing soil screening levels for superfund

  • USEPA (2004) Risk assessment guidance for superfund. Volume I: Human health evaluation manual (part e, supplemental guidance for dermal risk assessment)

  • USEPA (2011) Exposure factors handbook, edition (final). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC [EPA/600/R-09/052F]

  • USEPA (2012) Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) (CASRN 50-32-8)

  • van Geen A, Win KH, Zaw T, Naing W, Mey JL, Mailloux B (2014) Confirmation of elevated arsenic levels in groundwater of Myanmar. Sci Total Environ 478:21–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Villeneuve DL, Khim JS, Kannan K, Giesy JP (2002) Relative potencies of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to induce dioxin-like and estrogenic responses in three cell lines. Environ Toxicol 17:128–137

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wai KM, Umezaki M, Kosaka S, Mar O, Umemura M, Fillman T, Watanabe C (2018) Impact of prenatal heavy metal exposure on newborn leucocyte telomere length: a birth-cohort study. Environ Pollut 243:1414–1421

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Z, Fingas M, Shu YY, Sigotuin L, Landriault M, Lambert P, Turpin R, Campagna P, Mullin J (1999) Quantitative characterization of PAHs in burn residue and soot samples and differentiation of pyrogenic PAHs from petrogenic PAHs- the 1994 Mobile burn study. Environ Sci Technol 33:3100–3109

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang C, Li Y, Liu J, Xiang L, Shi J, Yang Z (2010) Characteristics of PAHs adsorbed on street dust and the correlation with specific surface area and TOC. Environ Monitor Assess 169:661–670

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang W, Huang M, Wang HS, Leung AOW, Cheng KC, Wong MH (2011) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban surface dust of Guangzhou, China: status, sources and human health risk assessment. Sci Total Environ 409:4519–4527

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wei C, Han Y, Bandowe BAM, Cao J, Huang R, Ni H, Tian J, Wilcke W (2015) Occurrence, gas/particle partitioning and carcinogenic risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their oxygen and nitrogen containing derivatives in Xian, Central China. Sci Total Environ 505:814–822

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yi EEPN, Nay NC, Aung WY, Thant Z, Wai TH, Hlaing KK, Maung C, Yagishita M, Ishigaki Y, Win-Swe TTW, Nakajima D, Mar O (2018) Preliminary monitoring of concentration of particulate matter (PM 2.5) in seven townships of Yangon City. Myanmar. Environ Health Prev Med 23:53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yunker MB, Macdonald RW, Vingarzan R, Mitchell RH, Goyette D, Sylvestre S (2002) PAHs in the Fraser River basin: a critical appraisal of PAH ratios as indicators of PAH source and composition. Org Geochem 33:489–515

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the students and staff of Pathein University in Myanmar, the National University of Civil Engineering (NUCE) in Vietnam, the Fishery Research Institute in Taiwan, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, and Kumamoto University for help with sampling road dust and sediments. This study was supported by the Bilateral Open Partnership Joint Research Project, funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8555, Japan

    Ei Ei Mon & Haruhiko Nakata

  2. Pathein University, Ayeyarwady Region, Pathein, Myanmar

    Nyunt Phay

  3. Graduate School of Environmental and Symbiotic Science, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, 3-1-100, Tsukide, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto, 862-8502, Japan

    Tetsuro Agusa

  4. Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, National University of Civil Engineering, 55 Giai Phong, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Leu Tho Bach

  5. Fisheries Research Institute, 199 Hou-Ih Road, Keelung, 20246, Taiwan

    Hsin-Ming Yeh & Ching-Huei Huang

Authors
  1. Ei Ei Mon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nyunt Phay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tetsuro Agusa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Leu Tho Bach
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hsin-Ming Yeh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ching-Huei Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Haruhiko Nakata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Haruhiko Nakata.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 106 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mon, E.E., Phay, N., Agusa, T. et al. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Road Dust Collected from Myanmar, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 78, 34–45 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-019-00693-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-019-00693-y

Search

Navigation