Carcinogenic risk assessment of benzene from the oil and gas field.

Abstract

Introduction and objective: In 2012 actual concentrations of benzene in the villages (9,000 people) near one of the largest in the world oil and gas condensate fields (Kazakhstan, Central Asia) were several times higher than expected model-based concentrations. Therefore a human health risk assessment from benzene was made with a focus on carcinogenic incidence determination. Additional cancer cases were derived from the benzene concentrations and turned into an economic damage to the state. Materials and methods: Annual population cancerogenic risk was derived with the use of Human health risk assessment methodology as described in the Guidance by Rahmanin et al. Economic damage from additional cancer cases was defined with a newly developed method with socio-economic characteristics of Kazakhstan taken into account. Results: In 2012, additional carcinogenic morbidity from benzene emissions totaled 0.1 case per 9,000 people. Human health economic damage from benzene caused by the activity of the abovementioned facility was estimated at $4,530. As seen from this exact study, the results of modeling and monitoring of one and the same facility may greatly differ. Therefore holding the cancerogenic risk assessment on an annual basis is a necessity and it must be made mandatorily, on a legal basis, not only in this exact region, but whenever an industrial facility runs its operations associated with the air pollution.