Personal and Residential Outdoor Passive Sampling Reveal Variability in Potential PAH Exposure: A Case Study from Santiago, Chile

Air quality management in Santiago (Chile) primarily relies on measuring atmospheric particulate matter and other criteria pollutants. This data is generated mostly by fixed-site outdoor monitoring stations, and the results are used to estimate population exposure. However, this approach may not be able to capture individual variability arising from differences in personal behaviors and microenvironmental transitions. Here we conducted an exploratory case study using residential outdoor polyurethane foam passive samplers and personal silicone wristbands to evaluate the potential polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure patterns among a limited number of residents of Santiago (Chile). Our results suggested that outdoor passive samplers and personal silicone wristbands revealed different but complementary PAH concentration patterns. Outdoor passive samplers captured regional spatial variability, whereas personal samplers revealed greater heterogeneity among individuals even when sharing the same residential environment. These findings support the value of integrating personal passive sampling into future assessment studies in urban environments of Chile.