Atmospheric VOCs Pollution Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Large-scale Integrated Industrial Area and Surrounding Areas in Southwest China

Abstract

To investigate the characteristics of atmospheric volatile organic compound (VOCs) pollution and promote VOCs pollution prevention and control in industrial areas, in December 2020, VOCs samples collected using Summa Canisters at three observation sites were used to study the characteristics of VOCs pollution and source apportionment and to conduct a health risk assessment in large integrated industrial areas and surrounding urban areas in southwest China. The results showed that the mean φ(TVOCs) at site A and site B in an industrial area and at a third urban site were 105.25×10-9, 222.92×10-9, and 82.87×10-9, respectively. Monochloromethane, dichloromethane, acetone, ethanol, and ethane were the species with higher volume fractions at the three sites. Aromatic hydrocarbons and OVOCs had a large contribution to the ozone formation potential (OFP), with a cumulative contribution of more than 50%, and the main reactive species were methyl methacrylate, toluene, p-xylene, and o-xylene; the secondary organic aerosol formation potential (SOAP) of aromatic hydrocarbons contributed more than 80%, with the main active species being toluene, p-xylene, and o-xylene. The results of PMF source analysis showed six main sources of VOCs, in the descending order of the petrochemical industry (21.83%), industrial waste incineration (18.6%), pharmaceutical manufacturing (16.99%), fossil fuel combustion (16.03%), motor vehicle exhaust (14.23%), and chemical manufacturing (12.32%). The mean values of the hazard index (HI) of site A and site B in the industrial area and in the urban site were 0.55, 0.68, and 0.41, respectively, and the mean lifetime cancer risk (LCR) values were 6.71×10-6, 6.72×10-6, and 6.58×10-6, respectively. Both HI and LCR in industrial areas were larger than those in urban areas. The quantitative assessment of risk sources showed that motor vehicle exhaust and fossil fuel combustion contributed relatively high carcinogenic risks.