AMBIENT AIR-POLLUTANTS IN UPPER SILESIA - PARTIAL CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION AND BIOLOGICAL-ACTIVITY

The air monitoring system in Upper Silesia has provided abundant data on airborne pollutants. Air quality in this region is bad: a concentra tion of several gases, volatile compounds, metals, and complex mixture s of organic compounds carried by small particulate matter exceeds bot h daily and yearly admissible levels. About 250 individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonds (PAHs) were identified in airborne pollutants. and hundreds of not identified compounds are seen on gas chromatograph ic profiles as minor peaks. Among PAHs are present compounds with know n carcinogenic potency for humans. Seasonal variation with distinctly lower concentration of pollutants in summer than in winter was noticed . Fifteen PAHs including benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) determined by GC-MS me thod in 20 measuring points showed constant relative proportions. Thus B[a]P could be used as a representative compound for other PAHs. In u rban areas, a core of Silesia values for B[a]P concentration ranged fr om 60 to 90 ng/m(3) in winter to 5 to 20 mu g/m in summer. Mutagenicit y tested on Salmonella strains showed seasonal variation with distinct ly higher values in winter. Environmentally exposed humans showed a hi gher level of PAH-DNA adducts in WBC than the control population from rural area. Total organic extract of smalt particulate matter exhibite d both direct and indirect mutagenic activity, induced formation of mi cronuclei in bone marrow cells of BALB/c mice, induced chromosomal rea rrangements, and increased sister chromatid exchange index.