Abstract
ABSTRACT Air toxics, also well-known as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), have significant health effects on human health and are of great concern. This paper studied a number of hazardous air pollutants in an industrial and metropolitan complex area in order to determine their ambient abundance and potential health impacts. The target pollutants in this study are benzene, formaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, arsenic, 2,3,7,8-TCDD, and diesel particulate matter (DPM). A cancer risk assessment was conducted to determine the health effects of exposure to the six HAPs by using the AERMOD model. Results indicated that the emission of benzene, formaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, arsenic and DPM was 184.5; 227.3; 68.0; 238, and 316 ton year–1, respectively, and the emission of 2,3,7,8-TCDD was 4,994 mg-TEQ year–1. Benzene (86%), formaldehyde (69%), and 1,3-butadiene (77%) were mainly emitted from on-road mobile sources. Arsenic (70%) and 2,3,7,8-TCDD (about 100%) were mainly emitted from stationary sources and DPM was emitted from diesel engines, port operations and ocean-going vessels. Spatial air toxic distribution indicated that the highest concentration of DMP, benzene, formaldehyde, and 1.3-butadiene occurred on the highway and in the downtown district due to their high traffic volume. DPM occupied more than 80% of total cancer risk in the region, followed by 1,3-butadiene, benzene, formaldehyde, arsenic, and 2,3,7,8-TCDD. In the industrial and residential complex area, about 99% of the cancer risk stemmed from on-road vehicles and port operations due to hazardous air pollutant emissions, especially DPM. The control scenario was made huge efforts to reduce the emission, however the results indicated only reduced the overall cancer risk assessment by 10%–15%. Policy makers have to think carefully about whether implementing the kind of emissions regulations simulated in this control scenario will need to be enhanced with additional measures to further reduce the risk of air pollution for human health.
Highlights
Air pollutants have a significant health effect on the world population, in urban areas
This paper studied a number of hazardous air pollutants in an industrial and metropolitan complex area in order to determine their ambient abundance and potential health impacts
diesel particulate matter (DPM) occupied more than 80% of total cancer risk in the region, followed by 1,3-butadiene, benzene, formaldehyde, arsenic, and 2,3,7,8-TCDD
Summary
Air pollutants have a significant health effect on the world population, in urban areas. Mobile motor exhaust is an important source of benzene in the environment (WHO, 2010) Another chemical that is considered to be a serious threat to public health is formaldehyde. The U.S EPA identifies six pollutants as being of greatest risk to American children (U.S EPA, 2013) These are: formaldehyde, benzene, acetaldehyde, carbon tetrachloride, hexavalent chromium, and diesel particulate matter (DPM) (U.S EPA, 2013). Arsenic species that are byproducts of human activities, such as coal burning, industrial waste disposal, the application of agricultural chemicals containing arsenic (such as insecticides, herbicides, algicides and growth promoters), the burning of wood treated with arseniccontaining preservatives, and preventive maintenance of the semiconductor manufacturing factory, are likely to have an important negative effect on public health (Environment Agency, 2008; Ham et al, 2017). A cancer risk assessment was conducted to evaluate the potential impact of air toxics on employee and residents in this industrial metropolitan region
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