title: Reducing health risk assigned to organic emissions from a chemical weapons incinerator.
abstract: Organic emissions from a chemical weapons incinerator have been characterized with an improved set of analytical methods to reduce the human health risk assigned to operations of the facility. A gas chromatography/mass selective detection method with substantially reduced detection limits has been used in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared microscopy to improve the speciation of semi-volatile and non-volatile organics emitted from the incinerator. The reduced detection limits have allowed a significant reduction in the assumed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and aminobiphenyl (ABP) emission rates used as inputs to the human health risk assessment for the incinerator. A mean factor of 17 decrease in assigned human health risk is realized for six common local exposure scenarios as a result of the reduced PAH and ABP detection limits.
authors: Department of Science and Engineering, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Nixyáawii Governance Center 46411 Timíne Way, Pendleton, OR 97801, USA. DavidLaman@ctuir.org
authors: David M
authors: DM
authors: Laman
authors: B Douglas
authors: BD
authors: Weiler
authors: Rodney S
authors: RS
authors: Skeen
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D017745:Incineration / Q000379:methods*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D009930:Organic Chemicals