Review of environmental airborne pyrene/benzo[a]pyrene levels from industrial emissions for the improvement of 1-hydroxypyrene biomonitoring interpretation

Figures & data

Figure 1. PRISMA flow chart depicting the literature search and the evaluation process for finding relevant records.

Figure 2. PyrT/BaP ratios at the sector scale depending on the sampling period Green points refer to data from E-HAP while yellow points refer to data from the literature.

Figure 3. Comparison of the variability of PyrT/BaP ratios between sectors GSD: geometric standard deviation, n: number of processes within a sector, m: number of activities within a sector.

Figure 4. Comparison of the PyrT/BaP ratio variability within sectors at the process level GSD: geometric standard deviation, n: number of processes within a sector, m: number of activities within a sector.

Figure 5. Comparison of the PyrT/BaP ratio variability within sectors at the activity level GSD: geometric standard deviation, m: number of activities within a sector.

Table 1. PyrT/BaP ratios for each sector.

Sector	Source	Time period	Number of countries	n	m	Number of samples	Median [IQR]	min-max range	Estimated BGV (µg/L)
Aluminum production	All sources	1981–2016	5	6	18	188	2.54 [2.56]	[0.09; 40.8]	6.35 [0.23; 102]
	Literature	1981–2016	4	4	8	64	5.50 [5.93]	[0.98; 14.8]	13.8 [2.45; 37.0]
	E-HAP	2001–2010	1	5	14	124	2.09 [1.66]	[0.09; 40.8]	5.23 [0.23; 102]
Aluminum, steel, and plastic foundries	All sources	1986–2021	5	4	14	265	6.14 [16.2]	[0.01; 418]	15.4 [0.03; 1045]
	Literature	1986–2012	4	4	11	195	8.19 [22.7]	[0.01; 418]	20.5 [0.03; 1045]
	E-HAP	2002–2021	1	2	6	70	5.94 [8.42]	[0.58; 276]	14.9 [1.45; 690]
Catering	All sources	2003–2019	4	3	3	44	9.09 [5.60]	[0.53; 311]	22.7 [1.33; 778]
	Literature	2003–2019	3	3	3	43	9.09 [6.53]	[0.53; 311]	22.7 [1.33; 778]
Coke production	All sources	1995–2020	8	9	9	1144	0.87 [0.51]	[0.39; 4.56]	2.18 [0.98; 11.4]
	Literature	1995–2020	7	5	4	1099	0.85 [0.46]	[0.39; 4.56]	2.13 [0.98; 11.4]
	E-HAP	2009	1	8	9	45	1.10 [0.58]	[0.51; 2.03]	2.75 [1.28; 5.08]
Combustion processes	All sources	1992–2022	6	8	13	206	2.31 [6.04]	[0.005; 177]	5.78 [0.01; 443]
(e.g., heating, firefighters)	Literature	1992–2022	5	3	3	144	2.35 [8.74]	[0.61; 177]	5.88 [1.53; 443]
	E-HAP	2003–2020	1	6	11	62	2.16 [3.24]	[0.005; 164]	5.40 [0.01; 410]
Creosote application	All sources	2018	1	2	2	19	9.14 [5.91]	[3.65; 25.5]	22.9 [9.13; 63.8]
	E-HAP	2018	1	2	2	19	9.14 [5.91]	[3.65; 25.5]	22.9 [9.13; 63.8]
Engine exhaust emissions	All sources	1997–2022	8	11	42	1299	2.62 [5.61]	[0.03; 1841]	6.55 [0.08; 4603]
	Literature	1997–2022	8	6	12	868	1.42 [2.54]	[0.03; 91.3]	3.55 [0.08; 228]
	E-HAP	2002–2021	1	10	37	431	4.29 [13.8]	[0.03; 1841]	10.7 [0.08; 4603]
Manufacturing of carbon products	All sources	1995–2021	6	4	23	642	1.05 [2.56]	[0.24; 359]	2.63 [0.60; 898]
	Literature	1995–2020	6	4	14	503	0.74 [11.4]	[0.24; 262]	1.85 [0.60; 157]
	E-HAP	2008–2021	1	2	13	139	1.41 [1.57]	[0.30; 359]	3.53 [0.75; 898]
Silicon carbide production	All sources	1987–2021	3	2	9	72	1.30 [1.21]	[0.23; 14.5]	3.25 [0.58; 36.3]
	E-HAP	2014–2021	2	2	9	70	1.25 [1.20]	[0.23; 5.73]	3.13 [0.58; 14.3]
Silicon production	All sources	2005–2021	1	9	35	629	2.04 [2.76]	[0.09; 143]	5.10 [0.23; 358]
	E-HAP	2005–2021	1	9	35	629	2.04 [2.76]	[0.09; 143]	5.10 [0.23; 358]
Tire and rubber production	All sources	2016–2017	2	2	3	7	38.7 [98.7]	[4.76; 117]	96.8 [11.9; 293]
	E-HAP	2017	1	1	2	6	71.8 [90.3]	[4.76; 117]	96.8 [11.9; 293]
Use of lubricating oils	All sources	2003–2021	2	6	11	130	5.24 [8.71]	[0.69; 265]	13.1 [1.73; 663]
	E-HAP	2003–2021	1	6	11	129	5.19 [8.90]	[0.69; 265]	13.1 [1.73; 663]
Use of tar, bitumen and road paving	All sources	1989–2022	10	9	23	1216	24.7 [26.4]	[0.35; 2439]	61.8 [0.88; 6098]
	Literature	1989–2022	9	5	11	779	26.6 [11.9]	[1.00; 964]	66.5 [2.50; 2410]
	E-HAP	2004–2021	1	9	18	437	14.2 [35.3]	[0.35; 2439]	35.5 [0.88; 6098]
Waste management	All sources	2001–2017	1	2	5	78	7.26 [9.44]	[1.18; 39.5]	18.2 [2.95; 98.8]
	Literature	2001	1	1	1	31	9.68 [7.27]	[3.47; 32.0]	24.2 [8.68; 80.0]
	E-HAP	2017	1	1	4	47	6.35 [10.4]	[1.18; 39.5]	15.9 [2.95; 98.8]

BGV: biological guidance value, IQR: interquartile range, n: number of processes within the considered sectors, m: number of activities within the considered sector.

Figure 6. BGV recommendation for sectors using products derived from coal.

A*:recommendation to use the BGV at the activity scale, app.: application, BGV: median biological guidance value expressed in µg/L, GSD: geometric standard deviation of the PyrT/BaP ratio, manufact.: manufacturing, NC: not calculated, P*: we recommend to use the BGV at the process scale, prod.: production, Re.: recommendation, S*: we recommend to use the BGV at the sector scale.

Figure 7. BGV recommendation for sectors using products derived from petroleum.

A*:we recommend to use the BGV at the activity scale, app.: application, BGV: median biological guidance value expressed in µg/L, GSD: geometric standard deviation of the PyrT/BaP ratio, lubri.: lubricating, manag.: management, NC: not calculated, P*: we recommend to use the BGV at the process scale, Re.: recommendation, S*: we recommend to use the BGV at the sector scale, Sil. Carb.: silicon carbide production.

Data availability statement

The data that supports the findings of this study is openly available on the PAH HBM tool at https://exporisk-timc.imag.fr/PAH/. Further information is available from the corresponding author upon request.