Organic toxicants and emerging contaminants in hospital interiors before and during the SARS-CoV2 pandemic: alkanes and PAHs

Indoor pollution and deposition dust (DD), in particular, are acquiring concern, due to long exposure time and importance of intake by humans through contact and ingestion. Hospitals look a special category of sites, owing to peculiar contaminants affecting them and to presence of people prone to adverse effects induced by toxicants. Four in-field campaigns aimed at understanding the chemical composition of DD were performed in five Italian hospitals. Measurements were performed before (autumn 2019), during (spring 2021), and after (winter 2022) the peak of SARS-CoV2 and when restrictions caused by pandemic were revoked (winter 2023). Parallel measurements were made outdoors (2022), as well as in a university and a dwelling. Targeted contaminants were n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while iso- and anteiso-alkanes were analyzed to assess the impact of tobacco smoking. Total n-alkanes ranged from 3.9 ± 2.3 to 20.5 ± 4.2 mg/g, with higher percentages of short chain homologs in 2019. PAHs ranged from 0.24 ± 0.22 to 0.83 ± 0.50 mg/g, with light congeners (≤ 228 a.m.u.) always exceeding the heavy ones (≥ 252 a.m.u.). According to carbon preference indexes, alkanes originated overall from anthropogenic sources. Microorganisms resulted to affect a hospital, and tobacco smoke accounted for ~ 4–20‰ of DD mass. As for PAH sources, the diagnostic concentration ratios suggested the concourse of biological matter burning and vehicle emission. Benzo[a]pyrene equivalent carcinogenic and mutagenic potencies of depositions at hospitals ranged ~ 9–39 μg/g and ~ 15–76 μg/g, respectively, which seems of concern for health. DD composition in hospitals was different from that outside the premises, as well as that found at university and at dwelling.