[Benzene exposure in Modena: historical trend and health risk assessment].
OBJECTIVE
The present paper estimates the 1980-2000 trend in exposure to benzene of the population living within the urban area of Modena. An assessment of leukaemia risk is also presented.


METHODS
The 2000 annual means of benzene atmospheric concentrations in 73 sites has been derived using a procedure which integrated data from fixed site stations and passive samplers: on this basis, an annual mean for the whole urban area has been calculated. The population exposure trend for the period 1980-2000 has been estimated using the information on traffic emission changes. The expected annual number of leukaemia cases attributable to benzene has been calculated by using two different approaches.


METHODS
Residents in the urban area of Modena.


METHODS
Annual incidence of leukaemia attributable to benzene.


RESULTS
In 2000, the mean urban concentration was about 7 microg/m3 and in average the population was exposed to about 9 microg/m3. In the eighties, the population exposure was 5 times higher than the 2000 value, with a maximum of 51 microg/m3 in 1988. The leukaemia risk assessment procedures gave a value of about 4 x 10(-1) with the method based on cumulative exposure and of about 4 x 10(-2) with the method based on weighted exposure.


CONCLUSIONS
This study is one of the few examples of evaluation of both the trend in benzene exposure for a population and assessment of leukaemia risk. Uncertainties in the assessment of health impact derive from inconsistencies in the underlyng methods.
Zauli Sajani
Stefano
S
Struttura tematica di epidemiologia ambientale, ARPA Emilia Romagna, Modena. szauli@epam.arpa.emr.it
Forti
Stefano
S
Lauriola
Paolo
P
D001554:Benzene / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects; D007938:Leukemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014505:Urban Population
D007854:Lead; D001554:Benzene