## 1 Introduction  
Atmospheric pollution, particularly particulate matter (PM) and PAHs, poses one of the most significant environmental threats to ecosystems and human health. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) [1] has classified air pollution and particulate matter as carcinogenic to humans. Air pollution causes more than six million premature deaths worldwide each year [2, 3, 4, 5]. People exposed to high levels of PM\({}_{10}\) are at increased risk of chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The health effects of PM\({}_{10}\) are related to the chemical composition of the particles, mainly toxic heavy metals and PAHs. These substances undergo adsorption on the surface of dust particles due to their physicochemical properties, such as the hydrophobicity of PAHs and the ability of heavy metals to form bonds with functional groups present on the particle surfaces. Adsorption facilitates their transport in the atmosphere and affects the persistence and toxicity of these pollutants [5]. Particulate matter in the atmosphere is a heterogeneous, complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds originating from both natural and anthropogenic sources. PM\({}_{10}\) is most commonly emitted into the air from opencast mines. Its chemical composition can vary significantly depending on location, season, source type, and atmospheric processes [3; 4]. The chemical composition of PM determines such physical properties of PM as surface area, density, optical properties, and hygroscopicity. These properties are responsible for the impact of atmospheric aerosol on the Earth's radiation balance, atmospheric precipitation, cloud processes, heterogeneous chemical reactions, and human health [3; 5; 6; 7]. The concentrations of PAHs associated with PM in the air are subject to very marked spatial and seasonal fluctuations; these changes are rarely proportional to the changes in PM concentration in the air. They are influenced not only by differences in PAH emissions in different areas and seasons, but also by meteorological conditions and the fractional and chemical composition of PM of different fractions. PAHs are produced during the incomplete combustion and pyrolysis of organic substances, as well as from unrefined petroleum products. The primary sources of PAHs are anthropogenic, particularly traffic emissions, residential heating, biomass burning, and industrial processes [3]. For this reason, there is a need to conduct detailed studies on the relationships between PAH concentrations and particulate matter at specific locations in order to better understand the mechanisms of their formation and dispersion, which will enable more effective prevention and reduction in emissions of these harmful compounds. These compounds are widely distributed in the atmosphere, and their toxicity varies: as the molecular weight of PAHs increases, so does their carcinogenicity, although their acute toxicity decreases. Inhalation of atmospheric PAHs can contribute to respiratory issues, impair lung function, and increase the risk of bronchitis [1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7]. Among the PAHs with known carcinogenic and teratogenic effects are benz(a)anthracene (BaA), benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF), benzo(j)fluoranthene (BJF), benzo(k)fluoranthene (BkF), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (IP), and dibenz(a,h)anthracene (DBahA) [7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12]. While sixteen PAHs have been designated as priority pollutants by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), many other PAHs are present in the environment, with limited research into their carcinogenic properties [8; 9]. Eastern Europe bears the highest health burden from air pollution--both in terms of premature deaths and cardiovascular disease [13]. In many Central and Eastern European countries, industrial and energy infrastructure development relies heavily on solid fuels, which influences the seasonal distribution of particulate emissions.