Improvement of health risk factors after reduction of VOC concentrations in industrial and urban areas.
After reductions of fugitive and diffuse emissions by an industrial complex, a follow-up study was performed to determine the time variability of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the lifetime cancer risk (LCR). Passive samplers (3 M monitors) were placed outdoors (n = 179) and indoors (n = 75) in industrial, urban, and control areas for 4 weeks. Twenty-five compounds including n-alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatics, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and terpenes were determined by GC/MS. The results show a significant decrease of all VOCs, especially in the industrial area and to a lesser extent in the urban area. The median outdoor concentration of benzene in the industrial area declined compared to the former study, around 85% and about 50% in the urban area, which in the past was strongly influenced by industrial emissions. Other carcinogenic compounds like styrene and tetrachloroethylene were reduced to approximately 60%. VOC concentrations in control areas remained nearly unchanged. According to the determined BTEX ratios and interspecies correlations, in contrast to the previous study, traffic was identified as the main emission source in the urban and control areas and showed an increased influence in the industrial area. The LCR, calculated for benzene, styrene, and tetrachloroethylene, shows a decrease of one order of magnitude in accordance to the decreased total VOC concentrations and is now acceptable according to values proposed by the World Health Organization.
Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, CIMA-Centro de Investigaciones del Medio Ambiente, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.
Jorge Esteban Colman
JE
Lerner
Tibor
T
Kohajda
Myriam Elisabeth
ME
Aguilar
Laura Andrea
LA
Massolo
Erica Yanina
EY
Sánchez
Atilio Andrés
AA
Porta
Philipp
P
Opitz
Gunnar
G
Wichmann
Olf
O
Herbarth
Andrea
A
Mueller
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001118:Argentina; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D011634:Public Health; D058996:Quality Improvement; D012307:Risk Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis*
D000393:Air Pollutants; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds