Health risk-oriented source apportionment of PM2.5-associated trace metals. (July 2020) - Xie, Jiawen
Abstract: In health-oriented air pollution control, it is vital to rank the contributions of different emission sources to the health risks posed by hazardous components in airborne fine particulate matters (PM2.5 ), such as trace metals. Towards this end, we investigated the PM2.5 -associated metals in two densely populated regions of China, the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and Pearl River Delta (PRD) regions, across land-use gradients. Using the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, we performed an integrated source apportionment to quantify the contributions of the major source categories underlying metal-induced health risks with information on the bioaccessibility (using simulated lung fluid) and speciation (using synchrotron-based techniques) of metals. The results showed that the particulate trace metal profiles reflected the land-use gradient within each region, with the highest concentrations of anthropogenically enriched metals at the industrial sites in the study regions. The resulting carcinogenic risk that these elements posed was higher in the YRD than in the PRD. Chromium was the dominant contributor to the total excessive cancer risks posed by metals while manganese accounted for a large proportion of non-carcinogenic risks. An elevated contribution from industrial emissions was found in the YRD, while traffic emissions and non-traffic combustion (the burning of coal/waste/biomass) were the common dominant sources of cancer and non-cancer risks posed by metals in both regions. Moreover, the risk-oriented source apportionment of metals did not mirror the mass concentration-based one, suggesting the insufficiency of the latter to inform emission mitigation in favor of public health. While providing region-specific insights into the quantitative contribution of major source categories to the health risks of PM2.5 -associated trace metals, our study highlighted the need to consider the health protection goal-based source apportionment and emission mitigation in supplement to the current mass concentration-based framework. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: As(V) was the major form of arsenic in urban PM2.5 from China. Cr and Mn predominated metal-induced cancer and non-cancer risks, respectively. Combustion and traffic emissions were common sources of metal-induced health risks. An elevated contribution of industrial emissions to risks in eastern China. Health risk-oriented source apportionment informs the effective mitigation of hazards. Abstract : The study presents a quantitative attribution of major sources to the health risks posed by PM2.5 -associated metals with incorporation of metal bioaccessibility and speciation.