[Uncertainty analysis of health risk assessment caused by benzene contamination in a contaminated site].
Lots of uncertainties lie in the procedure of environmental risk assessment (ERA) and how to analyze them exactly is studied comprehensively. Based on the investigation of petroleum contamination in a contaminated site, the representative benzene contaminant in soil was selected to analyze uncertainty of environmental risk resulting from drinking and inhalation exposure routes, using the Monte-Carlo simulations. According to the analysis results, the total health risk average value caused by benzene contamination from the alkene factory is 1.18 x 10(-4) for the people living on the district A, which is more than the risk limit of U.S. EPA 10(-6) and means contamination hazard to health. In four different areas of the alkene factory, the main source of risk comes from the cracking equipments with 1.17 x 10(-4). With the impact factors of the uncertainty, the contamination harm to the human health's probability is different referring to the different risk level, which is a criteria value meaning no harm to health issued by different institution. The study results provide an important foundation of effective control and remediation actions of contaminated sites.
Zhang
Ying-hua
YH
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. yinghuazhang8@gmail.com
Liu
Zhi-quan
ZQ
Li
Guang-he
GH
Zhang
Xu
X
D001554:Benzene / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D035501:Uncertainty; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001554:Benzene