Biological Monitoring of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposure in a Highly Polluted Area of Poland

Air pollution in Poland and p la in Silesia is among the worst in Europe.Many coal mines and coke oven plants are located in this area, o f polycydiaromatichydrocarbon (PAHs).:WWe qu ad PAM ep.l air smp using personal sampling devfic.acollected une apl frM" the nde: ii:, and sea aurad 1-hydroypyrene with h pe nce liq cSt s were collected twice, once in Ferary and once in Sete r.Mean PAH lve of samples collected at three diffcrent coke oven plants varied from 2.3 pgm3 to 12.3 pgm3; the lowest mean was in September.Mean leves of 0.15 plm3 (Sptember) and 0.44 pgm3 (Fbru ) wee noted for the environmentally exposd goup Mean u In variedMfromin 2.45 to 1348.pmol/mol c i at the three coke oven pat.rpondin i betwer th three different enomentalBy exp d groups in Silei was. 0.41-1.54ol/mol c ni In thie sonindustriuied area, the id ont 0 0.14 pmtne.Se variation w asf both at the cokoven plantIand groups iSieia.Both PAH evels and 1-hrxypyrene vaed son among oven workers and the evo enl* expoed group.Our study shows that PAH ecqpsre i the indusalized area of Sileint is hig to tls in Western -Hydrrypjt el;to in e ronmentaly exposed isndiv s inP land is am hge In-E .td air po tion, benzo[a]pyreneg, 1-hyd ypyrene, po clic