TY - JOUR
T1 - BTEX levels in rural households
T2 - Heating system, building characteristic impacts and lifetime excess cancer risk assessment
AU - Mokammel, Adel
AU - Rostami, Roohollah
AU - Niazi, Sadegh
AU - Asgari, Amin
AU - Fazlzadeh, Mehdi
PY - 2022/4/1
Y1 - 2022/4/1
N2 - BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) are a group of toxic organic compounds that exposure to them can cause adverse short and long terms health effects. We measured the levels of BTEX in the indoor and outdoor air of rural areas in Ardebil, Iran. We further assessed their health risks and determinants parameters. BTEX were sampled by drawing air through activated charcoal tubes, using low flow SKC pumps. Samples were extracted by adding carbon disulfide and analyzed by subjecting the aromatic fraction to GC-FID. The results indicated that the concentrations of BTEX in the indoor air were significantly higher than those of outdoor (p-value<0.05). The mean indoor concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene were 41.69 ± 30.70, 96.73 ± 60.75, 38.73 ± 33.59, and 59.42 ± 35.99 μg m−3, while the mean outdoor concentrations of them were 8.94 ± 7.32, 36.93 ± 21.82, 7.66 ± 5.63, and 18.14 ± 10.25 μg m−3, respectively. The concentrations of BTEX in indoor and outdoor of the rural areas that used kerosene fuel for heating systems were significantly higher than those used natural gas. The results indicated that the tobacco smoke is a notable temporary source of indoor BTEX. The mean inhalation lifetime cancer risk (LTCR) value of benzene for residents of rural houses with the natural gas and kerosene heating systems were 28.6 × 10−6 and 97.2 × 10−6, while for ethylbenzene these figures stood out at 29.1 × 10−6 and 95.8 × 10−6, respectively. LTCR value for residents who used kerosene fuel for heating was higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limit.
AB - BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) are a group of toxic organic compounds that exposure to them can cause adverse short and long terms health effects. We measured the levels of BTEX in the indoor and outdoor air of rural areas in Ardebil, Iran. We further assessed their health risks and determinants parameters. BTEX were sampled by drawing air through activated charcoal tubes, using low flow SKC pumps. Samples were extracted by adding carbon disulfide and analyzed by subjecting the aromatic fraction to GC-FID. The results indicated that the concentrations of BTEX in the indoor air were significantly higher than those of outdoor (p-value<0.05). The mean indoor concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene were 41.69 ± 30.70, 96.73 ± 60.75, 38.73 ± 33.59, and 59.42 ± 35.99 μg m−3, while the mean outdoor concentrations of them were 8.94 ± 7.32, 36.93 ± 21.82, 7.66 ± 5.63, and 18.14 ± 10.25 μg m−3, respectively. The concentrations of BTEX in indoor and outdoor of the rural areas that used kerosene fuel for heating systems were significantly higher than those used natural gas. The results indicated that the tobacco smoke is a notable temporary source of indoor BTEX. The mean inhalation lifetime cancer risk (LTCR) value of benzene for residents of rural houses with the natural gas and kerosene heating systems were 28.6 × 10−6 and 97.2 × 10−6, while for ethylbenzene these figures stood out at 29.1 × 10−6 and 95.8 × 10−6, respectively. LTCR value for residents who used kerosene fuel for heating was higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limit.
KW - Ardabil
KW - BTEX
KW - LTCR
KW - Natural gas and kerosene heating system
KW - Rural residential areas
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118845
U2 - 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118845
DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118845
M3 - Article
C2 - 35031402
AN - SCOPUS:85122691325
SN - 0269-7491
VL - 298
JO - Environmental Pollution
JF - Environmental Pollution
M1 - 118845
ER -
