Assessment of air pollution in Nagasaki City: determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their nitrated derivatives, and some metals

Air pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), their nitrated derivatives (NPAHs), and some metals on airborne particles in Nagasaki city, Japan were determined over a period of 12 months by high-performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence, fluorescence and flameless atomic absorption spectrometry. The average concentrations (range) were 18.24 (4.07-41.54) ng/m3 for total PAHs, 0.91 (0.23-4.10) pg/m3 for NPAHs, 7.95 (1.71-16.31) ng/m3 for Pb, 11.56 (3.35-24.96) ng/m3 for Mn and 3.79 (0.97-14.71) ng/m3 for Ni (n = 136). The toxic equivalency factors adjusted concentration of total PAHs determined in Nagasaki city area was 2.33 ng/m3. Concentrations of total PAHs and NPAHs in winter were higher than those in summer. In a weekly variations study, total PAHs and NPAHs concentrations, as well as traffic volume showed a similar tendency with all values higher during weekdays and lower at the weekend. The correlation coefficients between total PAHs or NPAHs and traffic volume were 0.781 and 0.818, respectively. These results suggested that one of the main sources for NPAHs and PAHs in a city area might be motor vehicles.