Construction of an atmospheric PAH emission inventory and health risk assessment in Jiangsu, China

The emissions and their associated health risks of 16 priority-controlled PAHs in Jiangsu Province, a province with the highest level of comprehensive development in China, were studied. The total 16 PAHs emissions in Jiangsu Province in 2019 were 5022.14 tons, of which 1013.84 tons were carcinogenic PAHs, accounting for 20.19% of the total emissions. The per capita emissions in Jiangsu Province were similar to the national average, but the emission density was much greater than the average intensity of China. The primary sources of PAHs were domestic coal and petrol combustion, which accounted for 53.34% and 21.03% of the total emissions, respectively. Among the 16 PAHs emitted, low molecular (bicyclic and tricyclic) compounds accounted for the majority (65.22%). PAHs in different cities of Jiangsu Province (13 in total) ranged from 590.74 tons in Xuzhou to 185.10 tons in Zhenjiang. The emissions of 16 PAHs in Jiangsu Province showed an increasing trend from 2010 to 2019. The estimated incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCRs) of PAHs emitted in 2019 in Jiangsu province for different population groups were between 10 −6 and 10 −5 , indicating high potential carcinogenic risks. The risks of adults and children were larger than that of adolescents in the same gender, whereas the risk value for women was higher than for men in the same age group.