Risk assessment of exposure to particulate output of a demolition site

Abstract

Whilst vehicular and industrial contributions to the airborne particulate budget are well explored, the input due to building demolition is relatively unknown. Air quality is of importance to human health, and it is well known that composition of airborne particles can have a significant influence on both chronic and acute health effects. Road dust (RD) was collected before and after the demolition of a large building to elucidate changes in elemental profile. Rainfall and PM10 mass concentration data aided interpretation of the elemental data. Quantification of Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Rh, S, Si, Sn, Ti, V and Zn was carried out. It was found that only Al, K, Mg, Si and S increased in concentration across all size fractions after the building demolition. Risk assessment was then carried out on elements with applicable reference dose values to assess the potential health risks due to the demolition. Significant risk to children was observed for chromium and aluminium exposure. PM10, monitored 40 metres from the demolition site, indicated no abnormal concentrations during the demolition; however, rainfall data were shown to affect the concentration of PM10. The elemental data observed in this study could possibly indicate the role of increased sulphur concentrations (in this case as a result of the demolition) on the buffer capacity of RD, hence leaching metals into rainwater.

A scoping study of component-specific toxicity of mercury in urban road dusts from three international locations

“…This large difference between the fractions is not observed in the Curitiba or Manchester samples, which implies that the Hg source or RD matrix has an influence on Hg distribution in size fractions of RD. The pattern observed in each of these samples, whereby the concentration of mercury decreases with increasing grain size, is reported by Brown et al (2015) with reference to trace metals in RD.…”

Use of simulated epithelial lung fluid in assessing the human health risk of Pb in urban street dust

“…Whilst this rate is consistent with recommended central tendency child ingestion rates (U.S. EPA, 2008; U.S. EPA, 2011), given time spent outdoors is a key predictor of child soil/dust ingestion rates (Van Wijnen et al, 1990), this rate is likely to be an overestimate in the context of urban street dust. In terms of urban street dusts, the quantity of inhaled material is typically modelled by the particle emission factor (PEF) or equivalent, such as the total suspended solids of the requisite size (U.S. EPA, 2011;Boisa et al, 2014;Brown et al, 2015). In the urban context where a range of weathering, industrial, combustion, construction and demolition processes generate fine particles, that are then available for further pulverisation and disturbance, an approach to assess the human health risk from inhalation of urban dusts is necessary, one that also considers the inhalation bioaccessible fraction (iBAF).…”

An investigation into the use of < 38 µm fraction as a proxy for < 10 µm road dust particles

“…Such large differences in metal concentrations between the fractions may appear to conclusively disprove any possibility that the two samples may be comparable. However, it is documented that the largest constituent of RD is Si-containing particles, and therefore, it is expected that the concentration of Si increases in larger grain fractions (Brown et al 2015). It is feasible that the difference between the two samples may be the significantly larger concentration of Si in the \ 38 lm fraction.…”

“…RD used in the study was collected in 2014 from Oxford Road, Manchester. The collection technique and handling of RD have previously been described by Brown et al (2015).…”