External Exposure to BTEX, Internal Biomarker Response, and Health Risk Assessment of Nonoccupational Populations near a Coking Plant in Southwest China.

Ning Qin,Fusheng Wei,Jihua Li,Yan Zhong,Laiguo Chen,Jing Tian,Ruifang Fan,Yuanyuan Zhu

doi:10.3390/ijerph19020847

Abstract

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) have raised increasing concern due to their adverse effects on human health. In this study, a coking factory and four communities nearby were selected as the research area. Atmospheric BTEX samples were collected and determined by a preconcentrator GC–MS method. Four biomarkers in the morning urine samples of 174 participants from the communities were measured by LC–MS. The health risks of BTEX exposure via inhalation were estimated. This study aimed to investigate the influence of external BTEX exposure on the internal biomarker levels and quantitatively evaluate the health risk of populations near the coking industry. The results showed that the average total BTEX concentration in residential area was 7.17 ± 7.24 μg m−3. Trans,trans-muconic acid (T,T-MA) was the urinary biomarker with the greatest average level (127 ± 285 μg g−1 crt). Similar spatial trends can be observed between atmospheric benzene concentration and internal biomarker levels. The mean values of the LCR for male and female residents were 2.15 × 10−5 and 2.05 × 10−5, respectively. The results of the risk assessment indicated that special attention was required for the non-occupational residents around the area.

Highlights

BTEX are a series of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with high detection frequency in environmental media and adverse effects on human health [1,2,3]
Exposure to BTEX can cause a variety of health problems [4,5] including adverse effects on the nervous system, immune functions and reproductive outcome in humans [6,7,8,9]
BTEX have raised increasing public concern in recent years and benzene has been listed as a group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer [13]

Summary

Introduction

BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-, p- and o-xylenes) are a series of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with high detection frequency in environmental media and adverse effects on human health [1,2,3]. Exposure to BTEX can cause a variety of health problems [4,5] including adverse effects on the nervous system, immune functions and reproductive outcome in humans [6,7,8,9]. BTEX have raised increasing public concern in recent years and benzene has been listed as a group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer [13]. BTEX are released from a variety of sources, including combustion of wood and fuels, traffic, industrial paints, adhesives, degreasing agents and aerosols.

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Results

Conclusion