Assessment of Ambient Air Pollution from Current-Use Pesticides (CUPs) Using Sorbent Impregnated Passive Air Samplers (SIP-PAS) in Bursa: Spatial and Temporal Variations, Source Identification, and Health Risk Evaluation.

Abstract

This study investigates airborne concentrations of six insecticides widely used on crops grown in agricultural, semi-urban, and rural areas of Bursa Province, Türkiye. Sorbent-impregnated passive air samplers (SIP-PASs), consisting of polyurethane foam (PUF) disks impregnated with XAD-2 resin, were deployed at ten strategically selected sites representing diverse agricultural and demographic profiles within the province. Analytes were quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for depuration compounds and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for target insecticides. Although this study focused solely on insecticides, future research should expand monitoring to include herbicides and fungicides-especially those applied to fruit crops-to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of airborne pesticide exposure. Spatial and temporal concentration patterns were analyzed, alongside Clausius-Clapeyron and back-trajectory analyses to assess temperature-driven volatilization and potential source regions. Health risks were evaluated for various age groups, with emphasis on children. The results offer new insights into CUP behavior and associated inhalation risks in intensively farmed regions. Average CUP concentrations were three times higher in agricultural areas than semirural, and nine times higher than rural zones, with peak levels in Ağaköy, Kestel, Demirtaş, and Mudanya. Concentrations were significantly elevated during warm periods. Temperature effects were evaluated using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation, while cluster analysis indicated long-range transport. Inhalation risk assessment showed hazard quotients below 1 and most lifetime cancer risk values under 10⁻⁶, indicating low health risks.