Indoor and Outdoor Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds and Health Risk Assessment in Residents Living near an Optoelectronics Industrial Park

Abstract

This study aimed to determine indoor and outdoor levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and to assess potential risks among residents living in the vicinity of an optoelectronics industrial park in 2006–2007. We used steel canisters to collect 72 indoor samples and 80 outdoor samples over 24 h. Gas chromatography with a mass-selective detector was used for qualitative and quantitative analyses. The amounts of time residents spent doing activities in different microenvironments were determined by the self-administered questionnaire. The chronic hazard index (HIc) and cancer risk were applied to assess the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of VOCs among residents. Four VOCs of ethanol (indoor: 77.8 ± 92.8 μg/m3; outdoor: 26.8 ± 49.6 μg/m3), toluene (67.0 ± 36.7 μg/m3; 56.9 ± 19.0 μg/m3), m/p-xylene (50.8 ± 66.1 μg/m3; 21.2 ± 20.3 μg/m3), and acetone (37.7 ± 27.5 μg/m3; 25.8 ± 9.8 μg/m3) were identified as dominant components in both the indoor and outdoor environments. Total VOCs and six VOCs of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m/p-xylene, o-xylene, and ethanol in indoor sites were significantly higher than those in outdoor sites (all p-values < 0.05). All estimated HIc values were less than unity and the cancer risk of benzene exposure was 1.8 × 10−4 (range: 9.3 × 10−5 to 3.4 × 10−4) based on resident time-weighted patterns. Strategies to reduce benzene exposure should be implemented to protect public health.

Exposure to Indoor Volatile Organic Compounds and Hypertension among Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display Workers

“…The recovery rates of all VOCs analyzed were between 96.2% (acetone) and 101.1% (m/p-xylene) with the relative standard deviations ranging from 1.4% (PGMEA) to 7.0% (acetone). The operational conditions of the gas-chromatograph/mass spectrometry system, VOC analyses and QA/QC procedures in detail have been mentioned in previous studies [4,12,13]. All participants were categorized into 1 of 20 workstations based on the indoor concentrations of VOCs measured at work with similar exposure to VOCs.…”

TiO2/Loofah–Halloysite Bio–Hybrid Composites as Efficient Systems for VOCs Removal

“…Despite its environmentally friendly origins, the incomplete combustion of ethanol in car engines can lead to a significant rise in the production of hazardous substances, including acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, posing risks to human health and the environment. [13] Moreover, ethanol, a common solvent and the primary ingredient in hand sanitizers, is consumed daily, emphasizing the necessity of efficiently removing ethanol vapors from the air. This is particularly crucial in various industrial settings, such as the food and coating industries.…”

Supported TiO2-ZnWO4 Photocatalytic Nanofibrous Membranes for Flow-Through and Fixed-Bed Reactors

“…Automobile releases of volatile organic compounds are ones of the most serious threats to air quality, climate change, and the future of our planet. , Among various types of air pollutants produced from automobile exhaust, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as toluene have been mentioned as ones of the most toxic substances. With a severe or long-term exposure, VOCs can harm the environment and human health through respiratory and nervous systems. , On the other hand, the excessive release of organic pollutants, such as methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) from dye industries, into the water resources remains prevalent. , Therefore, effective measures to cure the environment are of scientific and technological interest.…”