Risk Assessment of Benzene, Toluene, Ethyl Benzene, and Xylene Concentrations from the Combustion of Coal in a Controlled Laboratory Environment

Masilu Daniel Masekameni, Raeesa Moolla, Mary Gulumian and Derk Brouwer
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Masilu Daniel Masekameni: Occupational Health Division, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa
Raeesa Moolla: School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag X3, WITS 2050, South Africa
Mary Gulumian: National Institute for Occupational Health, National Health Laboratory Services, Braamfontein 2001, Johannesburg, South Africa
Derk Brouwer: Occupational Health Division, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: A D-grade type coal was burned under simulated domestic practices in a controlled laboratory set-up, in order to characterize the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs); namely, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX). Near-field concentrations were collected in a shack-like structure constructed using corrugated iron, simulating a traditional house found in informal settlements in South Africa (SA). Measurements were carried out using the Synspec Spectras GC955 real-time monitor over a three-hour burn cycle. The 3-h average concentrations (in µg/m 3 ) of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, and o-xylene were 919 ± 44, 2051 ± 91, 3838 ±19, 4245 ± 41 and 3576 ± 49, respectively. The cancer risk for adult males and females in a typical SA household exposure scenario was found to be 1.1 and 1.2 respectively, which are 110- and 120-fold higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated risk severity indicator (1 × 10 −6 ). All four TEX (toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene and o-xylene) compounds recorded a Hazard Quotient (HQ) of less than 1, indicating a low risk of developing related non-carcinogenic health effects. The HQ for TEX ranged from 0.001 to 0.05, with toluene concentrations being the lowest, and ethylbenzene the highest. This study has demonstrated that domestic coal burning may be a significant source of BTEX emission exposure.

Keywords: coal; BTEX; hazardous air pollutants; domestic fuel burning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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