The Influence of Environmental Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Exposure on DNA Damage among School Children in Urban Traffic Area, Malaysia

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 19; no. 4; p. 2193
• Main Authors: Hisamuddin, Nur Hazirah, Jalaludin, Juliana, Abu Bakar, Suhaili, Latif, Mohd Talib
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15.02.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - analysis; Air Pollutants - toxicity; Air pollution; Cancer; Child; Children; Chronic illnesses; Comet assay; Damage detection; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA Damage; Elementary schools; Emissions; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exposure; Gas chromatography; Health risks; Humans; Malaysia - epidemiology; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Mouth Mucosa; Outdoor air quality; Pollutants; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - toxicity; Questionnaires; Risk Assessment; Roads & highways; Schools; Scientific imaging; Toxicity; Traffic; Urban areas; Vehicles; Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur Malaysia; United States > US; Germany; urban traffic area; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); children; DNA damage
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042193

This study aimed to investigate the association between particulate PAHs exposure and DNA damage in Malaysian schoolchildren in heavy traffic (HT) and low traffic (LT) areas. PAH samples at eight schools were collected using a low volume sampler for 24 h and quantified using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Two hundred and twenty-eight buccal cells of children were assessed for DNA damage using Comet Assay. Monte-Carlo simulation was performed to determine incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) and to check the uncertainty and sensitivity of the estimated risk. Total PAH concentrations in the schools in HT area were higher than LT area ranging from 4.4 to 5.76 ng m and 1.36 to 3.79 ng m , respectively. The source diagnostic ratio showed that PAHs in the HT area is pyrogenic, mainly from diesel emission. The 95th percentile of the ILCR for children in HT and LT area were 2.80 × 10 and 1.43 × 10 , respectively. The degree of DNA damage was significantly more severe in children in the HT group compared to LT group. This study shows that total indoor PAH exposure was the most significant factor that influenced the DNA damage among children. Further investigation of the relationship between PAH exposure and genomic integrity in children is required to shed additional light on potential health risks.