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Environmental Distribution and Occupational Exposure for Aromatic Polycyclic Hydrocarbons within Industrial Regions of Central India: Implications for Human Health Risk

Aayushi Pathak1 , Neelabh Kashyap2 , Tandesh Lal Chandra3 , Pranjal Yadav4 and Sudhir Yadav5 *

1 Department of Forensic Science, School of Interdisciplinary Education and Research, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh India

2 Regional Forensic Science Laboratory, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh India

3 State Forensic Science Laboratory, Raipur, Chhattisgarh India

4 CSIR–Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh India

5 Department of Forensic Science, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh India

Corresponding author Email: sudhirforensic@gmail.com

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.21.1.23

The accelerated pace of industrialization in Central India has resulted in heightened emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, thereby eliciting substantial environmental and public health apprehensions. This investigation assessed the prevalence, spatial variability, and interlinkages between environmental and biological PAH levels in soil, plant, and blood sample collected from prominent industrial locales across Central India with a focus on evaluating potential exposure among industrial workers. In aggregate, 250 samples were subjected to analysis through liquid chromatography and conventional gas chromatography accompanied by tandem mass spectrometry techniques. Soil samples exhibited the highest concentrations of PAHs (0.11–1.58 ppm; mean 0.63 ppm), followed by plant samples (0.05–2.59 ppm; mean 0.77 ppm), whereas blood samples exhibited detectable concentrations (51.81–29712.66 ppb; mean 1059.74 ppb), indicating potential human exposure. Spatial analysis identified the Siltara Area and Korba Industrial Area as the primary contamination hotspots. Correlation analysis revealed a weak negative relationship between soil and plant samples (r = -0.28) and a stronger negative association between plant and blood samples (r = -0.73), suggesting complex exposure pathways. Risk evaluation utilizing toxic equivalency concentrations, incremental lifetime cancer risk, and hazard index demonstrated that non-carcinogenic risks were confined to acceptable thresholds; however, marginally elevated carcinogenic risks were identified in the Siltara region. The detection of low-molecular-weight PAHs in blood samples may suggest prospective occupational exposure among industrial workers, aligning with occupational safety concerns. These observations emphasize the necessity for sustained environmental monitoring and occupational health surveillance across industrial areas in Central India.

Blood biomarkers; Health risk assessment; Industrial pollution; Plant bioaccumulation; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Soil contamination

Copy the following to cite this article:

Pathak A, Kashyap N, Chandra T. L, Yadav P, Yadav S. Environmental Distribution and Occupational Exposure for Aromatic Polycyclic Hydrocarbons within Industrial Regions of Central India: Implications for Human Health Risk. Curr World Environ 2026;21(1). DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.21.1.23

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Pathak A, Kashyap N, Chandra T. L, Yadav P, Yadav S. Environmental Distribution and Occupational Exposure for Aromatic Polycyclic Hydrocarbons within Industrial Regions of Central India: Implications for Human Health Risk. Curr World Environ 2026;21(1).

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