Cancer Risk Associated with Inhalation Exposure to PM10-Bound PAHs and PM10-Bound Heavy Metals in Polish Agglomerations

Particulate matter (PM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals (HMs) present in polluted air are strongly associated with an increased risk of respiratory diseases. In our study, we grouped cities based on their pollution levels using a method called Ward’s cluster analysis and looked at the increased cancer risk from PM10-bound harmful substances for adult men and women living in Polish cities. The analysis was based on data from 8 monitoring stations where concentrations of PM10, PAHs, and HMs were measured simultaneously between 2018 and 2022. The cluster analysis made it possible to distinguish three separate agglomeration clusters: cluster I (Upper Silesia, Wroclaw) with the highest concentrations of heavy metals and PAHs, with mean levels of lead 14.97 ± 7.27 ng·m−3, arsenic 1.73 ± 0.60 ng·m−3, nickel 1.77 ± 0.95 ng·m−3, cadmium 0.49 ± 0.28 ng·m−3, and ∑PAHs 15.53 ± 6.44 ng·m−3, cluster II (Warsaw, Łódź, Lublin, Cracow) with dominant road traffic emissions and low emissions, with average levels of lead 8.00 ± 3.14 ng·m−3, arsenic 0.70 ± 0.17 ng·m−3, nickel 1.64 ± 0.96 ng·m−3, and cadmium 0.49 ± 0.28 ng·m−3, and cluster III (Szczecin, Tricity) with the lowest concentration levels with favourable ventilation conditions. All calculated ILCR values were in the range of 1.20 × 10−6 to 1.11 × 10−5, indicating a potential cancer risk associated with long-term exposure. The highest ILCR values were reached in Upper Silesia and Wroclaw (cluster I), and the lowest in Tricity, which was classified in cluster III. Our findings suggest that there are continued preventive actions and stricter air quality control. The results confirm that PM10 is a significant carrier of airborne carcinogens and should remain a priority in both environmental and public health policy.