Volatile Organic Compounds in Air: Sources, Distribution, Exposure and Associated Illnesses in Children.

Regina Montero-Montoya,Omar Arellano-Aguilar,Rocío López-Vargas

doi:10.29024/aogh.910

Regina Montero-Montoya, Omar Arellano-Aguilar + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.29024/aogh.910

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Abstract

Background:Toxic volatile organic compounds (VOC), like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX), are atmospheric pollutants representing a threat to human health. They are released into the environment from mobile sources in urban settings, but newly polluted areas are gaining importance in countries where accelerated industrialization is taking place in suburban or rural settings.Methods:The review includes studies done in Mexico and Latin-America and countries considered to have emerging economies and are compared with similar studies in developed countries. Data about environmental VOC levels and exposure of children have been included. Also, information about health effects was reviewed. Articles were searched in PubMed and Scopus, and information was also obtained from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the EPAs Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS-EPA) and state reports on air quality of Mexican cities.Results:VOC or BTEX levels reported in industrial and suburban areas were found to be higher due to the burning of fossil fuels and waste emission; whereas, in big cities, VOC emissions were mainly due to mobile sources. Even though TEX levels were under reference values, benzene was found at levels several times over this value in cities and even higher in industrial zones. Elevated VOC emissions were also reported in cities with industrial development in their peripheral rural areas.Public health relevance:Industrial activities have changed the way of life of small towns, which previously had no concern about environmental pollution and chemicals. No air monitoring is done in these places where toxic chemicals are released into rivers and the atmosphere. This work demonstrates the need for environmental monitors to protect human life in suburban and rural areas where industrial growth occurs without planning and ecological or health protection, compromising the health of new generations beginning in fetal development.

Highlights

Environmental pollution is a significant problem for humanity because of considerable changes in ecosystem behavior and the loss of biodiversity it is triggering, and because it may be at the origin of different diseases and physiological disorders in humans
A large number of substances are considered volatile organic compounds (VOC), the most abundant in the environment are benzene and some of its organic derivatives, like toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (o, m- and p-), jointly named BTEX, which comprise over 60% of the VOCs found in urban areas [8]; they are used as a reference to evaluate environmental levels and VOC exposure
VOCs come mainly from natural sources, like forest fires and the transformation of biogenic precursors; anthropogenic activities have become important sources of toxic VOC emissions into the atmosphere, so much so that they account for 25% of VOCs in our global atmosphere [9]

Summary

Introduction

Environmental pollution is a significant problem for humanity because of considerable changes in ecosystem behavior and the loss of biodiversity it is triggering, and because it may be at the origin of different diseases and physiological disorders in humans. VOCs as categorized by the World Health Organization (WHO) are compounds with a boiling point less than 250°C measured at a standard atmospheric pressure of 101.3 kPa [2] This classification may be further subdivided into very volatile organic compounds with boiling points between 0 and 100°C, which are mainly gases, and volatile compounds with boiling points between 100 and 250°C, distributed between air and water body surfaces or solid surfaces [3]. Toxic volatile organic compounds (VOC), like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX), are atmospheric pollutants representing a threat to human health. They are released into the environment from mobile sources in urban settings, but newly polluted areas are gaining importance in countries where accelerated industrialization is taking place in suburban or rural settings. This work demonstrates the need for environmental monitors to protect human life in suburban and rural areas where industrial growth occurs without planning and ecological or health protection, compromising the health of new generations beginning in fetal development

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