Exposure to Crude Oil-Related Volatile Organic Compounds Associated with Lung Function Decline in a Longitudinal Panel of Children

Su Ryeon Noh, Jung-Ah Kim, Hae-Kwan Cheong, Mina Ha, Young-Koo Jee, Myung-Sook Park, Kyung-Hwa Choi, Ho Kim, Sung-Il Cho, Kyungho Choi and Domyung Paek ()
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Su Ryeon Noh: Department of Public Health and Environment, Kosin University, 194 Wachi-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan 49104, Republic of Korea
Jung-Ah Kim: Department of Spatial & Environmental Planning, Chungnam Institute, 73-26 Yeonsuwon-gil, Gongju-si 32589, Republic of Korea
Hae-Kwan Cheong: Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si 16419, Republic of Korea
Mina Ha: Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, 119 Dandae-ro, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si 31116, Republic of Korea
Young-Koo Jee: Department of Internal Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, 119 Dandae-ro, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si 31116, Republic of Korea
Myung-Sook Park: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
Kyung-Hwa Choi: Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, 119 Dandae-ro, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si 31116, Republic of Korea
Ho Kim: Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
Sung-Il Cho: Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
Kyungho Choi: Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
Domyung Paek: Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-12

Abstract: Background: Children in the affected area were exposed to large amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the Hebei Spirit oil spill accident. Objectives: We investigated the lung function loss from the exposure to VOCs in a longitudinal panel of 224 children 1, 3, and 5 years after the VOC exposure event. Methods: Atmospheric estimated concentration of total VOCs (TVOCs), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene for 4 days immediately after the accident were calculated for each village (n = 83) using a modeling technique. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) as an indicator of airway status was measured 1, 3, and 5 years after the exposure in 224 children 4~9 years of age at the exposure to the oil spill. Multiple linear regression and linear mixed models were used to evaluate the associations, with adjustment for smoking and second-hand smoke at home. Results: Among the TVOCs (geometric mean: 1319.5 mg/m 3 ·4 d), xylene (9.4), toluene (8.5), ethylbenzene (5.2), and benzene (2.0) were dominant in the order of air concentration level. In 224 children, percent predicted FEV 1 (ppFEV 1 ), adjusted for smoking and second-hand smoke at home, was 100.7% after 1 year, 96.2% after 3 years, and 94.6% after 5 years, and the loss over the period was significant ( p < 0.0001). After 1 and 3 years, TVOCs, xylene, toluene, and ethylbenzene were significantly associated with ppFEV 1 . After 5 years, the associations were not significant. Throughout the 5 years’ repeated measurements in the panel, TVOCs, xylene, toluene, and ethylbenzene were significantly associated with ppFEV 1 . Conclusions: Exposure to VOCs from the oil spill resulted in lung function loss among children, which remained significant up to 5 years after the exposure.

Keywords: benzene; cohort; ethylbenzene; health effect; long-term; pulmonary; students; toluene; xylene (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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