AEROSOL BLACK CARBON IN THE NORTHEASTERN QINGHAI-TIBET PLATEAU: DISTRIBUTION, HEALTH RISKS, AND CORRELATION WITH SOIL BLACK CARBON

摘要

The aerosol black carbon (BC) plays an important role in climate change. This study investigated the distribution of aerosol BC in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The concentrations of aerosol BC in the study area ranged from 0.184 to 4.920 µg m~(-3) with average value of 1.135 µg m~(-3). No significant correlations existed between soil BC and aerosol BC. Four different health endpoints including low birth weight (LBW), percentage lung function decrement of school-aged children (PLFD), cardiovascular mortality (CM), and lung cancer (LC) were used to evaluate the potential health risks posed by aerosol BC. The highest health risks of LBW, PLFD, CM, and LC reached 14.922, 39.580, 14.475, and 6.821 numbers of equivalent passively smoked cigarettes (PSC), respectively. The highest concentration and health risk of aerosol BC occurred in the industrial area. The concentrations and health risks of aerosol BC in the study area were at a middle level among global regions.