Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the associated health risks in schoolchildren: A review

Abstract

Up to this date, numerous studies have associated exposure to PAHs with various health problems. The increasing awareness of the health hazards posed by PAHs present in indoor air has led to many preventive and restorative indoor air quality programs being implemented worldwide. Typically, the health concerns of PAHs are focused on their potential cytotoxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity in humans. Whereas the health risks of adult exposure cannot be neglected, children are much more susceptible as some studies showed that poor indoor air causes adverse health effects in children regardless of their health status. As children spend much of their time at schools, these environments may represent the major contributor to children's exposure to air pollutants; conditions found in schools may strongly impact on the respective health outcomes. So far there are only few data on indoor PAHs exposure and the respective health risks. Additionally, studies on levels and health risks associated with exposure to PAHs in schoolchildren are scarce. Protection against detrimental action of air pollutants requires reliable information about their levels of exposure. Thus this chapter is dedicated to schoolchildren exposure to PAHs and the associated health risks. A brief discussion on characteristics of PAHs is given, covering their sources as well as their health impacts. Available information on levels of exposure in schools is then summarized and the main results from existent epidemiological studies on children reported.