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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon distribution in serum of Saudi children using HPLC-FLD: marker elevations in children with asthma

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Abstract

Diesel exhaust consists of a complex mixture of chemicals which contain known genotoxicants, one of which is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which may be associated with adverse respiratory health outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the distribution patterns of PAHs (anthracene, naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, cyclopentaphenanthrene, pyrene, fluoranthene, benzanthracene, chrysene, benzo(e)pyrene, benzoacephenanthrylene, and benzo(a)pyrene) in serum collected from asthmatic and healthy control children. PAH serum levels were measured in samples collected from children who lived in 11 different locations in/round Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Al-yarmouk, Usaibi, Sultana Al-kadema, Omrrojam, Kof, Janoob Dawdmi, Guberah, Arabbuah, Al-mozahemyah, Iskan Al-mazzer, and Al-gharabi) during the period 2010–2011. Our results showed that the highest total mean concentrations of PAH were found in serum samples collected from people who lived in Sultana Aljadhida, Almozahemyah, Guberah, and Omrrojam and were 663.9, 486.17, 412.18, and 258.6 ng ml−1, respectively. The most prevalent PAHs in serum samples were naphthalene, bezanthracene, benzoacephenanthrylene, phenanthrene, chrysene, and benzo(a)pyrene with a frequency that ranged from 54.5 to 90.9 % positive samples. A close monitoring of PAH pollution is strongly recommended, especially in food and plant samples, because of their high bioaccumulation capacity.

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Abbreviations

PAHs:

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

BMI:

Body mass index

LDL:

Low-density lipoprotein

HDL:

High-density lipoprotein

SAD:

Sagittal abdominal diameter

IgE:

Immunoglobulin E

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the National Plan for Sciences and Technology (NPST) for the financial support (09-ENE662-02). The authors thank Benjamin Vinodson for the statistical analysis of data.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomarkers Research Program, Biochemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Nasser M. Al-Daghri, Majed S. Alokail, Sherif H. Abd-Alrahman & Hossam M. Draz

  2. Prince Mutaib Chair for Biomarkers of Osteoporosis, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Nasser M. Al-Daghri, Majed S. Alokail & Sherif H. Abd-Alrahman

  3. Pesticides Residues and Environmental Pollution Department, Central Agricultural Pesticide Laboratory, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, 12618, Egypt

    Sherif H. Abd-Alrahman

  4. Biochemistry Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 12311, Egypt

    Hossam M. Draz

Authors
  1. Nasser M. Al-Daghri
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  2. Majed S. Alokail
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  3. Sherif H. Abd-Alrahman
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  4. Hossam M. Draz
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Correspondence to Nasser M. Al-Daghri.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Al-Daghri, N.M., Alokail, M.S., Abd-Alrahman, S.H. et al. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon distribution in serum of Saudi children using HPLC-FLD: marker elevations in children with asthma. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 12085–12090 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3108-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3108-0

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