Determination of gaseous organic compounds in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan

The aim of this study was to analyze gaseous organic chemicals (GOCs) of high traffic (Nishinomiya City: 979,987 vehicles/day) and low traffic areas (Miki City: 29,338 vehicles/day) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and to evaluate general environment exposure by PAHs in GOCs. After air sampling using an OMNIPORE membrane filter (< 0.45 microm) and Porapak-QS, sorbents were extracted with solvent (dichloromethane: acetone (4:1 v/v), and analysis was carried out by GC-MS. Oxidative derivatives of diethylbenzene, such as diacethylbenzene and ethylacetophenone, were detected in GOCs. PAHs and phthalates in GOCs were measured. Pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[ghi]perylene level were significantly higher in high traffic areas. The geometric mean of pyrene was 0.76 ng/m3 for low traffic areas and 1.96 ng/m3 for high traffic areas; benz[a]anthracene was found at 0.72 ng/m3 and 1.80 ng/m3 in low and high traffic areas, respectively; benzo[a]pyrene was found at 0.87 ng/m3 and 3.60 ng/m3 in low and high traffic areas, respectively and benzo[ghi]perylene was found at 0.57 ng/m3 and 3.04 ng/m3 in low and high traffic areas, respectively. The bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) level was the highest in the detected GOCs. The geometric mean of the DEHP levels in high traffic and low traffic areas were 484.85 and 387.26 ng/m3, respectively. Adult and child DEHP exposure levels were 145.32 and 300.33 ng/kg/day, respectively, in high traffic areas. In low traffic areas, adult and child DEHP exposure levels were 116.18 and 240.10 ng/kg/day, respectively.