Exposure and risk assessment of PAHs in indoor air of waterpipe cafés in Ardebil, Iran

Background: PAHs are among the compounds of concern for human health due to the toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, and persistent and bio-accumulative properties of certain types of the PAHs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) bound to particulate matter (PM) in the indoor air of waterpipe cafés of Ardebil city, and to further assess the health risk due to exposure to PAHs.Materials & Methods: 50 out of 236 cafés were selected using systematic random sampling method and air samples were taken from standing breathing zone of smokers and employees by using SKC sampling pumps at the flow rate of 2 l/min for 4 h to collect a total air volume of 480 liters. Polytetrafluoroethylene filters (2 μm, 47 μm diameter, SKC Inc.) were used as sampling media. The extracted samples from filters were analyzed for PAHs by a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.Results: The results showed that the mean indoor concentration of PAHs in the cafés was 5522.1±594.8 ng/m3. It was 5915.2±650.5, 2404±271.4, and 7304.9±846.0 ng/m3 for cafés with fruit flavored tobacco, regular tobacco, and the both, respectively. The means of the hazard quotient (HQ) for PAHs in different age groups, including 11 to 01 ,01< to 20 ,20waterpipe cafés .

Keywords:

Poly aromatic hydrocarbons , risk assessment , waterpipe cafés , indoor air pollution , particulate matter