Study on analysis and assessment of exposure levels and accumulation profiles of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in human hair and fingernail samples
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may accumulate in some non-invasive human samples, which can serve as bioindicators for assessing human exposure to these contaminants. In this study, hair and fingernail samples collected from a group of university students in Vietnam were collected and analyzed to provide biomonitoring information on the accumulation and contamination characteristics of PAHs. This is the first study in Vietnam to simultaneously analyze PAHs in hair and fingernails obtained from the same study subjects. Total concentrations of 16 PAHs in the hair samples ranged from 258 to 811 (mean 493) ng/g, while those in fingernails ranged from 29 to 667 (mean 335) ng/g. Although the total PAH levels in the hair samples were slightly higher than in the fingernails, the latter matrix preferably accumulated high-molecular-weight PAHs with higher toxicity, resulting in higher benzo[a]pyrene equivalents (BaP-EQ) in the fingernails than in hair samples. In contrast, many hair samples accumulated low-molecular-weight PAHs such as naphthalene and phenanthrene, implying the exposure from the air environment and/or endogenous accumulation during hair growing process. Some fingernail samples, especially in women, showed BaP-EQ levels several times higher than the corresponding hair samples, suggesting the role of exogenous adsorption from dust and hand contact with potentially PAH-contaminated surfaces.