Substantial Changes in Selected Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Associations with Health Risk Assessments in Industrial Areas during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments in many countries worldwide, including India, imposed several restriction measures, including lockdowns, to prevent the spread of the infection. COVID-19 lockdowns led to a reduction in gaseous and particulate pollutants in ambient air. In the present study, we investigated the substantial changes in selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and associations with health risk assessments in industrial areas. VOC data from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2021 were collected from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) website, to identify percentage changes in VOC levels before, during, and after COVID-19. The mean TVOC levels at all monitoring stations were 47.22 ± 30.15, 37.19 ± 37.19, and 32.81 ± 32.81 µg/m3 for 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. As a result, the TVOC levels gradually declined in consecutive years due to the pandemic in India. The mean TVOC levels at all monitoring stations declined from 9 to 61% during the pandemic period as compared with the pre-pandemic period. In the current study, the T/B ratio values ranged from 2.16 (PG) to 26.38 (NL), which indicated that the major pollutant contributors were traffic and non-traffic sources during the pre-pandemic period. The present findings indicated that TVOC levels had positive but low correlations with SR, BP, RF, and WD, with correlation coefficients (r) of 0.034, 0.118, 0.012, and 0.007, respectively, whereas negative correlations were observed with AT and WS, with correlation coefficients (r) of −0.168 and −0.150, respectively. The lifetime cancer risk (LCR) value for benzene was reported to be higher in children, followed by females and males, for the pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods. A nationwide scale-up of this study’s findings might be useful in formulating future air pollution reduction policies associated with a reduction in health risk factors. Furthermore, the present study provides baseline data for future studies on the impacts of anthropogenic activities on the air quality of a region.

Impacts of varied industrial activities within southern Nigeria on air environment and human health

“…Levels of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) at the industrial areas investigated ranged between 0.05 and 4.821 mg/m 3 (Table 2). The range of total volatile organic compounds obtained is higher than 32.81 -47.22 µg/m 3 reported in Delhi, India by Singh et al [50]. The mean values of TVOCs at COPC, APC, and MPC were higher than the recommended limit for unpolluted air by FEPA [37], whereas the values obtained at BPC and CCMY were within the limit.…”

A Three-Year Analysis of Toxic Benzene Levels and Associated Impact in Ploieşti City, Romania

“…More studies based on complete datasets are required to understand the magnitude of the impact of the elevated benzene concentrations, especially in the petrochemical areas. For example, in Delhi, India, the lifetime cancer risk values for males and females were higher during the lockdown period compared to the pre- and post-lockdown periods due to longer exposure time to increase the production of plastic and resin manufacturing units during the pandemic period [ 56 ].…”

Atmospheric Properties and Their Observable Correlations with Volatile Organic Compounds Emission Concentration at Some Gas Stations in Port Harcourt City

“…Prolonged exposure to VOCs can be fatal (Elena et al, 2021). A number of studies have shown that cardiovascular and respiratory diseases are largely associated with individual VOCs (Singh al, 2023). Oxidation of VOCs results in plentiful production of organic acids, which in turn initiates aerosol nucleation (Guo et al, 2020).…”