Exposure and risk assessment of BTEX in indoor air of gyms in Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) in indoor air of 50 gyms in Tehran city and to further assess the health risk due to exposure to BTEX. 10 l of air samples were collected from each gyms and The concentrations of BTEX were determined using GC-FID. Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to evaluate carcinogenic and non-cancer risk owing to BTEX exposure. The results showed that the mean ± SD concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene in indoor air of gyms were 75.1 ± 36.2, 34.1 ± 23.8, 54.8 ± 34.9, and 19.5 ± 9.1 μg/m3, respectively. Among the BTEX, benzene has the most concentrations in the gyms. The mean of inhalation lifetime cancer risk (LTCR) for benzene in indoor air of gyms was calculated 4.1 (10−7), which is lower than the standard limit set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and world health organization. Accordingly, benzene imposes no risk for athletes in gyms investigated in this study. Also, the mean of Hazard quotients (HQ) for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene were calculated to be 1.1 (10−2), 2.6 (10−5), 3.09 (10−4) and 7.6 (10−3), respectively, which are much lower than 1 and shows that these compounds do not threaten athletes at the gym in terms of non-carcinogenic disorders. Uncertainty analysis shows that BTEX concentrations have the highest contribution of LTCR and HQ (52.5–82.8%). Therefore, gyms can be a potential source for exposure to BTEX and increase the risk of health problems among athletes.