Contamination and Potential Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Heavy Metals in House Settled Dust Collected from Residences of Young Children

House settled dust (HSD) contains various hazardous materials, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals. Exposure to toxicants contained in HSD is of paramount concern especially the case young children, due their particular behavioral characteristics. In this context, extracts sieved vacuum cleaner from 20 residences with children were examined for presence PAHs trace metals, Athens, Greece. The results indicated that metals ubiquitous studied residences. calculated enrichment factors (EF) Cu, Se, Zn, Hg, Cd, Pb mainly anthropogenic. According PCA analysis, main sources household were: smoking inside houses, combustion processes, resuspension soil dust, vehicle traffic. general, cancer risk exposure was found lower than threshold value. ingestion house most important route dose almost all elements 1–2 orders magnitude corresponding reference values. Both carcinogenic noncarcinogenic risks within safety limits.