Seasonal variations and trends in concentrations of filter-collected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and mutagenic activity in the San Francisco Bay area

Journal Article · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/10473289.1991.10466843· OSTI ID:5040816

Flessel, P; Wang, Yi Y; Chang, Kuo-In; Wesolowski, J J; Guirguis, G N; Kim, In-Suk ^[1]; Levaggi, D; Siu, Wayman ^[2]

---

1. California Dept. of Health Services, Berkeley, CA (United States)
2. Bay Area Air Quality Management Distric, San Francisco, CA (United States)

Air monitoring in the San Francisco Bay Area was carried out to measure outdoor community air concentrations of polycycclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and mutagenic activity (mutagenicity) in particulate organic matter (POM). Monitoring began in 1979 and is currently conducted at six stations. PAH and mutagenicity tests were performed on organic extracts prepared from high volume (hi-vol) filters composited every four months, by meteorological season. Mutagenicity was measured in the Ames Salmonella bioassay using strain TA98 with and without metabolic activation. The nine-year mean concentration of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) was 0.4 ng/m{sup 3}. The mutagenicity of this amount of BaP accounted for only about 0.2% of the observed mutagenicity in POM and other measured PAH accounted for even less. Concentrations of PAH and mutagenicity were three to nine times higher during the winter than during other seasons. Year-to-year wintertime trends in several PAH were also seen. Early in the 1980s, winter concentrations of BaP and benzo (g,h,l)perylene increased. However since the mid-1980s, their concentrations have fallen. The decrease in PAH concentrations may be the result of an increasing proportion of vehicles with relatively low organic emissions. In contrast to PAH, mutagenicity did not show significant year-to-year time trends.

• OSTI ID: 5040816
• Journal Information: Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association; (United States) Vol. 41:5; ISSN JAWAE; ISSN 1047-3289
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
AROMATICS
BACTERIA
CALIFORNIA
CONTROL
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
EXHAUST GASES
FEDERAL REGION IX
FLUIDS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
HYDROCARBONS
MATTER
METABOLIC ACTIVATION
MICROORGANISMS
MONITORING
MUTAGEN SCREENING
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MATTER
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
POLLUTANTS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
SALMONELLA
SCREENING
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
USA
VARIATIONS
WASTES