Exposure to ambient volatile organic compounds in an area with excess cancer and asthma morbidity

Abstract

TPS 671: Cardiometabolic effects of long-term air pollution exposure, Exhibition Hall, Ground floor, August 26, 2019, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Background: The Haifa Bay Area (HBA) has been documented to experience relatively high morbidity from asthma and cancer. Previously, association with emissions from industrial facilities in the HBA has been examined. However, ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) are lower in HBA than in other districts (such as the Tel-Aviv area). It has been proposed that this discrepancy may possibly result from unmeasured concentrations of certain volatile organic compounds and/or heavy metals, which are uniquely emitted by industrial facilities and are not characteristic of traffic, such as 1,2-dichloroethane and Isoamyl alcohol. A list of such compounds was formulated by the regulatory bodies and bi-weekly measurements began in 2015. Methods: Data on 25 distinct pollutants was collected from 30 locations spread within and outside of HBA. The measurements were generally performed on a bi-weekly basis from the start of 2015 until the end of 2018. The annual mean measurements within HBA were compared to those in other regions using a Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: A preliminary analysis indicates that there are significantly lower concentrations of butadiene, benzo(a)pyrene, and trichloroethylene in HBA than in other regions. The only pollutant whose concentrations seem to be significantly higher in HBA is particulate vanadium, which is commonly emitted into the atmosphere by metallurgical industries, oil refineries and the combustion of fossil fuels. No significant differences were found in the concentrations of the remaining 21 pollutants. Conclusion: The excess morbidity in the HBA was not found to be related to ambient air pollution. Future research of this issue should perhaps focus on indoor exposures and explanatory variables rather than on ambient air pollution.