The potential and realistic hazards after a solar-driven chemical treatment of benzene using a health risk assessment at a gas station site in Korea.
In order to evaluate the potential use for ex situ remediation, a solar-driven, photocatalyzed reactor system was constructed and applied for the treatment of groundwater contaminated with benzene using selected advanced oxidation processes (AOP) processes, such as H(2)O(2)/solar light, TiO(2) slurry/solar light and immobilized TiO(2)/solar light. However; to date, there have been few attempts to characterize the potential impact of residual levels of benzene on human health after treatment. Some papers have focused on the application of treatment methods of benzene, but most have not considered the effects of realistic hazards and human health. Therefore, potential and realistic hazards of benzene to human health were investigated at a gas station site using a risk-based assessment approach. Among the different remediation actions, the solar light/TiO(2) slurry/H(2)O(2) system (Action 5) showed higher removal efficiency than the solar light/TiO(2) slurry (Action 3) and the solar light/immobilized TiO(2) (Action 2) systems for the treatment of benzene. The Action 5 remediation method achieved 98% degradation, and lead to a substantial increase in the removal of benzene due to the synergetic effect of TiO(2) with the oxidant, H(2)O(2). Also, using the realistic and potential hazard assessment instead of the point estimation of concentration after benzene treatment, the total health risk exceeded the target risk value (1 x 10(-6)). However, the 95th percentile target cancer risk, found using a probabilistic analysis (Monte Carlo method), was around 1 x 10(-6), indicating a low potential carcinogenic risk. Therefore, it was concluded that no adverse health risk was unlikely to be posed if the Action 5 system, which included the addition of TiO(2) and H(2)O(2), or if an increased reaction time was applied. In addition, continuous efforts and proper actions must be taken on the "Soil and Groundwater Remediation Action" based on the risk assessment in Korea.
Cho
Il-Hyoung
IH
Sungil Technology & Consulting Center, Suwon, Kyonggi, Korea. cihyoung73@hanmail.net
Chang
Soon-Woong
SW
D001554:Benzene / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000633:toxicity; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005742:Gasoline; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D007723:Korea; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013472:Sunlight; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000633:toxicity; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
D005742:Gasoline; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C009495:titanium dioxide; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D014025:Titanium; D001554:Benzene