Assessment of the PAH composition in PM2.5 São Paulo city and risk analyses to human health associated with their exposure

• Grant number: 24/11003-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2024
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Thiago Nogueira
• Grantee: Giulia Mariano Machado
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Air pollution is one of the biggest threats to global public health and is responsible for millions of premature deaths annually. The city of São Paulo, with its high population density and intense vehicle fleet, has high levels of atmospheric pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which contains compounds toxic to humans such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These compounds, resulting mainly from the combustion of fossil fuels, are recognized for their harmful effects on health, including their carcinogenic and mutagenic potential. The project's overall objective is to evaluate the human health risks associated with PAHs by determining the concentration of PAHs in PM2.5 and analyzing the human health risks associated with inhaling these pollutants. The PAHs collected on filters will be analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The risk assessment will be carried out using the equivalent index of benzo[a]pyrene: BaP_Teq and BaP_Meq for carcinogenicity and mutagenicity, respectively, in addition to the estimated lifetime development of cancer. This project also includes a research internship abroad to be developed at the University of Surrey (United Kingdom) to contribute to statistical analyses and risk assessment of human health within the field of air quality research in Brazil.