PAH AND N-PAH IN THE URBAN ATMOSPHERE OF ROME AND MILAN

Particulated PAH and nitrated-PAM (N-PAH) have been measured in urban areas of Pome and Milan to assess the exposure of the population to ca rcinogenic and mutagenic compounds. We found that the index of benz(a) pyrene equivalence of carcinogenic power and the levels of 1-nitropyre ne and 2-nitrofluoranthene might represent a genotoxic risk for human health even when benz(a)pyrene does not exceed the reference levels es tablished by Italian law. A new couple of indices (1-nitropyrene and 2 -nitrofluoranthene content) is proposed to account for the risk arisin g from N-PAH emitted from vehicle exhaust gas or produced by photochem ical reactions.