Personal and environmental predictors of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure identified through repeated silicone wristband sampling

This study integrates quantitative data on personal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 162 silicone wristbands with demographics, behavioral information, and housing characteristics to explore contributions to residential exposure in a community influenced by historic and current industrial activities over the course of a year. Forty-six residents completed questionnaires and wore silicone wristbands as personal passive samplers for seven consecutive days on up to four separate occasions between November 2022 and June 2023; the repeated measures in this study lend insight into exposure sources with variability. It was hypothesized that individual behaviors and housing characteristics would be sources of dependence and correlation between personal PAH exposures. Fifty PAHs were detected, seventeen of which were alkylated PAHs. Exposure to PAHs of similar molecular weight was often correlated, notably between naphthalenes (2-rings) and PAHs of 3 or more rings. Generalized linear mixed models identified flooring type, participant age, and sampling month as predictors of increased PAH exposure. Flooring type and use of wood stoves or heavy machinery were identified as predictors of increased naphthalene exposure relative to larger PAHs. Personal behaviors and housing characteristics were sources of dependence and correlation between personal PAH exposures across repeated measures. We demonstrate the value of collection and integration of questionnaire data with exposure data, and repeated measures that consider intra-individual variability. Identification of influential exposure factors through repeated measures of chemical exposure and characterization of variability in personal exposure as performed in this study is important in the development of exposure mitigation strategies.