Table 2.

Plasma concentrations of background PAHs from all participants at the beginning of each cycle (n = 28). Plasma samples were collected between 9:00–10:00 AM following an overnight fast. The GC-MS/MS method employed quantifies 62 parent and alkylated PAHs; 49/62 PAHs were below the LOD (each similar to the ranges shown for detected PAHs). Non-detect compounds and those below the LOD were omitted. Full list of compounds, CAS numbers, and LODs provided in Table S3.

Compound	Range (ng/mL)	Mean (ng/mL)	Number of samples above LOD (n=28)	LOD (ng/mL)	LOQ (ng/mL)
1-methylnaphthalene	0.07 – 0.29	0.13 ± 0.07	8 (28.57%)	0.06	0.3
1-methylpyrene	0.32 – 4.73	0.79 ± 0.97	19 (67.86%)	0.08	0.4
2,6-dimethylnaphthalene	1.00 – 4.01	2.17 ± 1.01	11 (37.29%)	0.2	0.9
2-methylanthracene	1.58	/	1 (3.57%)	0.09	0.5
2-methylnaphthalene	0.16 – 0.99	0.41 ± 0.32	10 (35.71%)	0.1	0.7
2-methylphenanthrene	4.95	/	1 (3.57%)	0.08	0.4
6-methylchrysene	1.26	/	1 (3.57%)	0.2	0.9
7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene	4.00	/	1 (3.57%)	0.2	0.9
9-methylanthracene	0.64	/	1 (3.57%)	0.2	0.9
benzo[c]fluorene	0.53	/	1 (3.57%)	0.06	0.3
benzo[k]fluoranthene	1.54	/	1 (3.57%)	0.1	0.5
fluoranthene	0.9	/	1 (3.57%)	0.1	0.5
fluorene	0.13 – 1.36	0.48 ± 0.32	12 (42.86%)	0.2	0.8
naphthalene	0.16 – 2.29	0.84 ± 0.55	28 (100%)	0.2	1.0
phenanthrene	0.64	0.47 ± 0.16	5 (17.86%)	0.09	0.5
pyrene	0.13 – 6.8	1.94 ± 2.35	7 (25%)	0.08	0.4
perylene	23.9 – 52.2	35.43 ± 12.23	4 (14.29%)	1.0	5.0
retene	1.01 – 57.8	8.81 ± 10.66	28 (100%)	0.2	0.8