Polychlorinated biphenyls in indoor dust from urban dwellings of Lahore, Pakistan: Congener profile, toxicity equivalency, and human health implications

This study is the pioneer assessment of the PCBs in indoor dust particles (from air conditioners) of an urbanized megacity from South Asian. The n-ary sumation (35) PCB concentration ranged from 0.27 to 152.9 ng/g (mean: 24.84 +/- 22.10 ng/g). The tri- and tetra-PCBs were dominant homologues, contributing 57.36% of the total PCB concentrations. The mean levels of Sigma(8)-dioxin-like (DL), Sigma(6)-indicator PCBs and WHO2005-TEQ for DL-PCBs were 2.22 +/- 2.55 ng/g, 9.49 +/- 8.04 ng/g and 4.77 +/- 4.89 pg/g, respectively. The multiple linear regression indicated a significant correlation of dusting frequency (p = 1.06 x 10-04) and age of the house (p = 1.02 x 10-06) with PCB concentrations in indoor environment. The spatial variation of PCB profile revealed relatively higher concentrations from sites near to illegal waste burning spots, electrical locomotive workshops, and grid stations. Human health risk assessment of PCBs for adults and toddlers through all three exposure routes (ie, inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact) demonstrated that toddlers were vulnerable to high cancer risk (4.32 x 10(-04)), while adults were susceptible from low to moderate levels of risk (3.16 x 10(-05)). Therefore, comprehensive investigations for PCBs in the indoor settings, focusing particularly on the sensitive populations with relationship to the electronic devices, transformers, and illegal waste burning sites, are recommended.

Automated summary

This study conducted a pioneer assessment of PCBs in indoor dust particles from air conditioners in a South Asian urbanized megacity, revealing that tri- and tetra-PCBs were the dominant homologues, accounting for 57.36% of total PCB concentrations. Spatial variation showed higher PCB concentrations near illegal waste burning spots, electrical locomotive workshops, and grid stations. Health risk assessment indicated that toddlers were vulnerable to high cancer risk from PCB exposure through all three routes, while adults faced low to moderate levels of risk.