# Presentation: 347571

## Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Dusts that Settled at Indoor and Outdoor locations in Lower Manhattan after 11 September 2001

- _Presented by:  Dr. Paul  J. Lioy _4,5_ _
- Collaborators:
- John H. Offenberg1, Steven J. Eisenreich1,2, Lung Chi Chen3, Mitch D. Cohen3, G. Chee3, Colette Prophete3, Judy Q. Xiong3 Chunli Quan3, Xiaopeng Lou3, Mianhua Zhong3, John Gorczynski3, Lih-Ming Yiin4, Vito Illacqua4, Clifford Weisel4,5
- 1 Department of Environmental Science, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, NJ
- 2 Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
- 3 Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, NYU School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY
- 4Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Piscataway, New Jersey.
- 5 University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey.

## Why analyze the dusts?

-  The identification of major contaminants in settled WTC dust/smoke is important for assessing the potential for short and/or long term health effects from inhalation exposure of re-suspendable WTC dust/smoke due to the events of 9-11.

## Outdoor samples collected from across lower Manhattan

- Sampling: NYU 12 & 13 Sept.  &  EOHSI 16 & 17 Sept.
- Red = Bulk analysis only;  Blue = Size Segregated
- K, L &M – analyzed for PCBs & OCPs in addition to PAHs

## Samples collected from indoor locations in lower Manhattan

- 11 bulk, settled dust samples were collected from indoor locations on 19 November 2001 by EOHSI/NYU.
- Contents of a vacuum cleaner ‘Post rehabilitation’ were collected on 22 April 2002.

## Analytical Methods

-   Dichloromethane  30 minute sonication
-         *Bulk: 3 x’s ~0.7 g extracted       Separate for PAHs & PCB/OCPs*
*        **Size Segregated: as available*
**Fractionation/Cleanup (for PCB analysis on Bulk samples only):**
- • Column chromatography
-      3% H20 deactivated alumina
-  Fraction #1: PCBs/OCPs (Hexane)
-  Fraction #2: OCPs (2:1 DCM:Hexane)

**Analysis:**
- Gas Chromatography (HP 6890 Series)
-         (HP-5 Capillary column)
-  Electron Capture Detector (****-ECD) – PCBs and OCPs
-  GC-MS (EI) in SIM mode  - PAHs & Chlordanes

*For details see Brunciak et al. (2001) and Gigliotti et al. (2001) *

## [-PAHs] in bulk settled dusts

- [-PAHs] in bulk settled dusts

## [- PAHs] in Size Segregated Dusts

- [****- PAHs] in Size Segregated Dusts

## [-PAHs] in bulk settled dusts

- [-PAHs] in bulk settled dusts

- NJADN Jersey City average
- on TSP  *n*=78

## [37-PAH] at in bulk settled dusts collected at indoor locations

## PAH fingerprints

## PAH fingerprints

## Conclusions: Outdoor Dusts

- Settled dusts contained up to 0.04% by mass of 36-PAHs
- Initial estimates indicate that ~1 x 106 tons of dust / aerosol were released due to the disaster.
- This translates into ~100 to ~1000 tons of PAHs released into lower Manhattan following September 11th, even without considering continuing fires.

## Conclusions: Indoor Dusts

- Dusts that settled at indoor locations appear to have been of similar concentrations of PAH’s as the dusts that settled outdoors.
- In addition to similar concentrations, comparison of PAH concentration patterns (i.e. chemical fingerprints) shows that dusts that settled indoors are chemically similar to WTC dusts found at outdoor locations and that analysis of PAHs may be useful in identifying dusts of WTC origin at indoor locations.

## Acknowledgements

- The authors wish to thank the NIEHS and Dr. Ken Olden for the supplemental funds provided to the NIEHS Centers at EOHSI (ES05022-12), and at the NYU Institute of Environmental Medicine (ES00260) to complete these analyses, as well as the EPA University Partnership with the National Exposure Research Laboratory (CR827033).
- We would like to thank Daryl Van Ry, Yelena Naumova, Cari Gigliotti, and Shahnaz Alimokhtari for assistance in the expedient completion of the sample preparation and analyses.
- Additionally, we would like to thank The Henry and Camille Dreyfus Foundation for financial support during the completion of this work. This is a contribution of the NJ Agricultural Experiment Station of Rutgers University.
- Finally, the authors would like to express our sympathy and continuing concern for the survivors and for the families of the victims of September 11, 2001.