The Seasonality Impact of the BTEX Pollution on the Atmosphere of Arad City, Romania

Corina Popitanu, Gabriela Cioca, Lucian Copolovici, Dennis Iosif, Florentina-Daniela Munteanu and Dana Copolovici
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Corina Popitanu: Biomedical Sciences Doctoral School, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania
Gabriela Cioca: Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550024 Sibiu, Romania
Lucian Copolovici: Development and Innovation in Technical and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection, Institute for Research, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310330 Arad, Romania
Dennis Iosif: Development and Innovation in Technical and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection, Institute for Research, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310330 Arad, Romania
Florentina-Daniela Munteanu: Development and Innovation in Technical and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection, Institute for Research, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310330 Arad, Romania
Dana Copolovici: Development and Innovation in Technical and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection, Institute for Research, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310330 Arad, Romania

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 9, 1-11

Abstract: Benzene, toluene, and total BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) concentrations registered for one year (2016) have been determined every month for one high-density traffic area. The assessment was performed in Arad City, Romania, to evaluate these pollutants and their influence on the inhabitants’ health. The contaminants were sampled using a static sampling method and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Benzene was the most dominant among the BTEX compounds—the average concentrations ranged from 18.00 ± 1.32 µg m −3 in December to 2.47 ± 0.74 µg m −3 in August. The average toluene concentration over the year was 4.36 ± 2.42 µg m −3 (with a maximum of 9.60 ± 2.39 µg m −3 in November and a minimum of 1.04 ± 0.29 µg m −3 in May). The toluene/benzene ratio (T/B) was around 0.5, indicating substantial contributions from mobile sources (vehicles). The emission and accumulation of different aromatic compounds (especially benzene) could deteriorate the urban air quality. The lifetime cancer risk (LTCR) for benzene was found to be more than 10 −5 in winter, including the inhabitants in the “probable cancer risk” category.

Keywords: BTEX; air pollution; motor vehicles; health impact; urban air (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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