Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Indoor air levels of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) in public buildings with creosote impregnated constructions – A pilot case study using passive samplers

Loive, Jonathan LU ; Strandberg, Bo LU ; Christensen, Karen and Hagvall, Lina LU (2024) In Chemosphere 352.
Abstract

Creosote has been used in Sweden as a wood preservative in buildings since the 19th century. These buildings can function as workplaces, homes, and cultural buildings to which the public has access. Creosote contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) which are well known carcinogens. To understand exposure and risks in an indoor environment, it is important to determine air levels of parent PAHs as well as the more toxic nitrated and oxygenated PAH derivatives (NPAH, OPAH). This study aims to investigate indoor air levels of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) e.g., PAH, NPAH, OPAH and dibenzothiophenes in buildings containing creosote sources and whether these levels pose a health risk. Four cultural buildings were studied, all... (More)

Creosote has been used in Sweden as a wood preservative in buildings since the 19th century. These buildings can function as workplaces, homes, and cultural buildings to which the public has access. Creosote contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) which are well known carcinogens. To understand exposure and risks in an indoor environment, it is important to determine air levels of parent PAHs as well as the more toxic nitrated and oxygenated PAH derivatives (NPAH, OPAH). This study aims to investigate indoor air levels of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) e.g., PAH, NPAH, OPAH and dibenzothiophenes in buildings containing creosote sources and whether these levels pose a health risk. Four cultural buildings were studied, all located within a radius of 130 m. Two were known to have creosote sources, and two had not. Polyurethane foam passive air samplers (PUF-PAS) were used to indicate possible point sources. PUF-PAS measurements were performed for one month in each building winter and summer. Simultaneously, PAC outdoor level measurements were performed. Buildings with creosote impregnated constructions had notably higher indoor air levels of PAC (31–1200 ng m−3) compared to the two buildings without creosote sources (14–45 ng m−3). The PAH cancer potency (sum of benzo[a]pyrene equivalents (BaPeq)) was more than one order of magnitude higher in the buildings containing creosote impregnated wood compared to reference buildings. The highest value was 5.1 BaPeq ng m−3 which was significantly higher than the outdoor winter measurement (1.3 BaPeq ng m−3). Fluoranthene and phenanthrene, with significant distribution in gas phase, but also several particulate NPAHs contributed significantly to the total cancer risk. Thus, creosote containing buildings can still contaminate the indoor air with PACs despite being over a hundred years old. The PUF-PAS was shown to be a good tool providing quantitative/semiquantitative measures of PACs exposure in indoor microenvironments.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Creosote, Indoor air, PAH derivatives, PAHs, Passive samplers, Risk assessment
in
Chemosphere
volume
352
article number
141240
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:38266881
  • scopus:85184008795
ISSN
0045-6535
DOI
10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141240
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e8041d4d-5d0c-4d00-ab38-22b553f6ee94
date added to LUP
2024-03-07 15:00:03
date last changed
2024-04-19 11:37:31
@article{e8041d4d-5d0c-4d00-ab38-22b553f6ee94,
  abstract     = {{<p>Creosote has been used in Sweden as a wood preservative in buildings since the 19th century. These buildings can function as workplaces, homes, and cultural buildings to which the public has access. Creosote contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) which are well known carcinogens. To understand exposure and risks in an indoor environment, it is important to determine air levels of parent PAHs as well as the more toxic nitrated and oxygenated PAH derivatives (NPAH, OPAH). This study aims to investigate indoor air levels of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) e.g., PAH, NPAH, OPAH and dibenzothiophenes in buildings containing creosote sources and whether these levels pose a health risk. Four cultural buildings were studied, all located within a radius of 130 m. Two were known to have creosote sources, and two had not. Polyurethane foam passive air samplers (PUF-PAS) were used to indicate possible point sources. PUF-PAS measurements were performed for one month in each building winter and summer. Simultaneously, PAC outdoor level measurements were performed. Buildings with creosote impregnated constructions had notably higher indoor air levels of PAC (31–1200 ng m<sup>−3</sup>) compared to the two buildings without creosote sources (14–45 ng m<sup>−3</sup>). The PAH cancer potency (sum of benzo[a]pyrene equivalents (BaP<sub>eq</sub>)) was more than one order of magnitude higher in the buildings containing creosote impregnated wood compared to reference buildings. The highest value was 5.1 BaP<sub>eq</sub> ng m<sup>−3</sup> which was significantly higher than the outdoor winter measurement (1.3 BaP<sub>eq</sub> ng m<sup>−3</sup>). Fluoranthene and phenanthrene, with significant distribution in gas phase, but also several particulate NPAHs contributed significantly to the total cancer risk. Thus, creosote containing buildings can still contaminate the indoor air with PACs despite being over a hundred years old. The PUF-PAS was shown to be a good tool providing quantitative/semiquantitative measures of PACs exposure in indoor microenvironments.</p>}},
  author       = {{Loive, Jonathan and Strandberg, Bo and Christensen, Karen and Hagvall, Lina}},
  issn         = {{0045-6535}},
  keywords     = {{Creosote; Indoor air; PAH derivatives; PAHs; Passive samplers; Risk assessment}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Chemosphere}},
  title        = {{Indoor air levels of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) in public buildings with creosote impregnated constructions – A pilot case study using passive samplers}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141240}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141240}},
  volume       = {{352}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}