Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in blood serum of adults living in high and low-traffic volume areas in Malaysia: A comparative cross-sectional study

Al-Battawi S 1 , Latif MT 2 , How V 1 , Thilakavathy K 3 , Abd Hamid HH 2 , Hameed S 4 Show all authors , Ho YB 5

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 2 Department of Earth Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 3 Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Genetics and Regenerative Medicine Research Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (MyAgeing), Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 4 C1, 43300, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 5 Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: yubin@upm.edu.my
Environ Res, 2024 Nov 15;261:119744.
PMID: 39098713 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119744

Abstract

Ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) originate predominantly from fuel combustion of motor vehicles and have the potential to affect human health. However, there is insufficient knowledge regarding serum PAHs health risks among the Malaysian population. This study aims to compare PAH concentrations, distributions, correlations, and health risks in 202 blood serum samples drawn from residents living in high-traffic volume areas (Kuala Lumpur) and low-traffic volume areas (Hulu Langat) in Malaysia. Solid phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were employed to extract and analyze blood serum samples. Questionnaires were distributed to obtain sociodemographic and contributing factors of serum PAHs. The mean total PAHs concentration in serum of the Kuala Lumpur group was 54.44 ng g-1 lipids, double the Hulu Langat group's concentration (25.7 ng g-1 lipids). Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (IcP) and acenaphthene (ACP) feature the most and least abundant compounds in both study groups. The mean concentrations of IcP and ACP in the Kuala Lumpur and Hulu Langat groups were 26.8 vs 12.68 and 0.27 vs 0.14 ng g-1 lipids, respectively. High-molecular-weight PAHs (HMW-PAHs) composed 85% of serum total PAHs in both groups. Significant correlations were found (i) between the individual serum PAH congeners (p 

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