[Pollution Characteristics of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Fine Particulate Matter from Catering Sources and Differentiated Health Risks among Populations in Handan].

The pollution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） in fine particulate matter （PM_2.5） from catering sources is closely related to human health. However, existing studies have not yet clarified the actual pollution status of PAHs from catering sources and their differentiated health risks among populations in Handan. Focusing on 11 typical catering enterprises in Handan, this study analyzed the pollution characteristics of 16 types of PAHs under EPA optimal control from catering sources based on gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Dividing the population into 10 groups based on age and gender, we used Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the differentiated health risks of PAHs from catering sources based on the daily intake assessment model and the incremental lifetime carcinogenic risk （ILCR） model. The results showed that the total mass concentration range of PAHs in PM_2.5 from catering sources was 0.04-0.24 μg·m^-3. From a composition perspective, the average proportion of benzo[ghi]perylene （18.0%）, pyrene （17.8%）, and phenanthrene （12.8%） was relatively high. From a structural perspective, the proportion of 4-ring PAHs （29.2%-52.4%） was the highest. The mass concentration range of benzo[a]pyrene （BaP） in PM_2.5 from catering sources was 0.001-0.011 μg·m^-3, which was higher than the World Health Organization limit and partially higher than China's annual average mass concentration limit for environmental BaP. The PAHs emitted from the western restaurant and barbecue restaurant were most likely to pose a carcinogenic risk to the population, with ILCR ranges of 0.67×10^-6-0.19×10^-4 and 0.56×10^-6-0.16×10^-4, respectively. Exposed to the same PM_2.5 from catering sources, the order of carcinogenic risk for different age groups was： children>adolescents>youth>middle-aged>elderly, and there was a weak gender difference in carcinogenic risk among the same age group. Approximately 30%-40% of children and 5%-15% of adolescents may face a higher carcinogenic risk than the entire adult population, and about 15%-25% of children may face a higher carcinogenic risk than that of other populations. Under lifelong exposure, the average value of life loss expectancy （LL） caused by PAHs in PM_2.5 from catering sources to the population ranged from 1.2 to 24.1 minutes, with that of the western restaurant being 1.2 times that of the barbecue restaurant and 1.7 times that of northeastern cuisine. The research results have made up for the shortcomings of existing research regarding the vague understanding of the actual pollution status of catering sources in Handan and the relatively single population classifications for health risk assessment. It has also proposed prevention and control measures for key catering sources and populations and can provide comprehensive and detailed data support for the assessment of PAHs in PM_2.5 of catering sources on differentiated health risks among populations and the reduction and control of particulate matter pollution from catering sources in Handan.