Exposure evaluation to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in an italian airport

The aim of this study was to use environmental monitoring to evaluate occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and biphenyl in an Italian airport. Air was sampled using a quartz fiber filter, a polyurethane foam, and an XAD-2 layer. After extraction with dichloromethane, concentration and purification analyses of 25 PAHs (including biphenyl) were carried out by gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry. In winter 2005, 12 air samples were taken at 120 L/min for 24 hours in three different areas of the airport. PAH levels were found to be generally low. In all investigated areas, the higher levels refer to naphthalene (130-13,050 ng/m), 2-methylnaphthalene (64-28,500 ng/m), 1-methylnaphtalene (24-35,300 ng/m), and biphenyl (24-1610 ng/m). However, in some instances, for compounds such as benzo[b+j+k]fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene, two high-boiling PAHs, the levels found (54.2 ng/ m and 8.6 ng/m, respectively) can be considered of some concern.