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Amoatey P, Al-Mayahi A, Al-Harthy I, Al-Jabri K, Addi MN, Siddiqi SA, Sulaiman H, Al-Mamun A, Baawain MS. Characterization and exposure assessment to urban air toxics across Middle Eastern and North African countries: a review. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2021; 193:529. [PMID: 34322756 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-021-09229-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Middle East and North African (MENA) countries over the decades are experiencing rapid industrial and infrastructural growth combined with being the global hub of oil and gas industries. These economic transformations are associated with release of air pollutants including urban air toxics (UAT) through industrial, traffic, and constructional activities into ambient urban environments. UAT concentrations levels may exacerbate in most MENA countries considering high number of vehicular traffic populations and petrochemical industries which are one of the main sources of this pollutant. Therefore, the main objective of the study is to review major findings of UAT levels in urban areas across thirteen (13) MENA countries. The study characterizes various measured UAT, assesses their concentrations in ambient environment, and identifies their major sources of emissions by reviewing more than 100 relevant UAT papers across the selected MENA countries. It was found that benzene, heavy metals, formaldehyde, and dioxin-like compounds are the most reported UAT. The study concluded that road traffic, fuel stations, and petrochemical industries were identified as the main sources of ambient UAT levels. It was further reported that most of the studies were based on short-term ambient environment with limited studies in indoor environments. Therefore, it is highly recommended that future research should focus on innovative health impact assessment and epidemiological studies from exposure to UAT levels. Also embarking on sustainable mitigation approaches through urban greenery, eco-industrial estates infrastructural developments, and renewable energy shares will reduce UAT levels and improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Amoatey
- Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 33 P.C. 123, Al-Khoudh, Muscat, Oman
| | - Ahmed Al-Mayahi
- Department of Soils, Water and Agricultural Engineering, College of Agriculture, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 34 P.C. 123, Al-Khoudh, Muscat, Oman
| | - Issa Al-Harthy
- Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 33 P.C. 123, Al-Khoudh, Muscat, Oman
| | - Khalifa Al-Jabri
- Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 33 P.C. 123, Al-Khoudh, Muscat, Oman.
| | - Maxwell Nana Addi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Sajjad Ahmad Siddiqi
- Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 33 P.C. 123, Al-Khoudh, Muscat, Oman
| | - Hameed Sulaiman
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 36 P.C. 123, Al-Khoudh, Muscat, Oman
| | - Abdullah Al-Mamun
- Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 33 P.C. 123, Al-Khoudh, Muscat, Oman
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Masekameni MD, Moolla R, Gulumian M, Brouwer D. Risk Assessment of Benzene, Toluene, Ethyl Benzene, and Xylene Concentrations from the Combustion of Coal in a Controlled Laboratory Environment. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 16:E95. [PMID: 30602669 PMCID: PMC6339150 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16010095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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/m³) 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masilu Daniel Masekameni
- Occupational Health Division, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Aukland Park 2006, 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.
- Haematology and Molecular Medicine, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Derk Brouwer
- Occupational Health Division, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Delikhoon M, Fazlzadeh M, Sorooshian A, Baghani AN, Golaki M, Ashournejad Q, Barkhordari A. Characteristics and health effects of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in an urban area in Iran. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 242:938-951. [PMID: 30373039 PMCID: PMC6221454 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.07.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
This study reports a spatiotemporal characterization of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in the summer and winter of 2017 in the urban area of Shiraz, Iran. Sampling was fulfilled according to EPA Method TO-11 A. The inverse distance weighting (IDW) procedure was used for spatial mapping. Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to evaluate carcinogenic and non-cancer risk owing to formaldehyde and acetaldehyde exposure in 11 age groups. The average concentrations of formaldehyde/acetaldehyde in the summer and winter were 15.07/8.40 μg m-3 and 8.57/3.52 μg m-3, respectively. The formaldehyde to acetaldehyde ratios in the summer and winter were 1.80 and 2.43, respectively. The main sources of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were photochemical generation, vehicular traffic, and biogenic emissions (e.g., coniferous and deciduous trees). The mean inhalation lifetime cancer risk (LTCR) values according to the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) for formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in summer and winter ranged between 7.55 × 10-6 and 9.25 × 10-5, which exceed the recommended value by US EPA. The average LTCR according to the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) for formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in summer and winter were between 4.82 × 10-6 and 2.58 × 10-4, which exceeds recommended values for five different age groups (Birth to <1, 1 to <2, 2 to <3, 3 to <6, and 6 to <11 years). Hazard quotients (HQs) of formaldehyde ranged between 0.04 and 4.18 for both seasons, while the HQs for acetaldehyde were limited between 0.42 and 0.97.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdieh Delikhoon
- Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mehdi Fazlzadeh
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Armin Sorooshian
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Abbas Norouzian Baghani
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Golaki
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Qadir Ashournejad
- Department of Remote Sensing & GIS, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abdullah Barkhordari
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
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Bayatian M, Ashrafi K, Azari MR, Jafari MJ, Mehrabi Y. Risk assessment of occupational exposure to benzene using numerical simulation in a complex geometry of a reforming unit of petroleum refinery. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:11364-11375. [PMID: 29417483 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-1318-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
There has been an increasing concern about the continuous and the sudden release of volatile organic pollutants from petroleum refineries and occupational and environmental exposures. Benzene is one of the most prevalent volatile compounds, and it has been addressed by many authors for its potential toxicity in occupational and environmental settings. Due to the complexities of sampling and analysis of benzene in routine and accidental situations, a reliable estimation of the benzene concentration in the outdoor setting of refinery using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) could be instrumental for risk assessment of occupational exposure. In the present work, a computational fluid dynamic model was applied for exposure risk assessment with consideration of benzene being released continuously from a reforming unit of a refinery. For simulation of benzene dispersion, GAMBIT, FLUENT, and CFD post software are used as preprocessing, processing, and post-processing, respectively. Computational fluid dynamic validation was carried out by comparing the computed data with the experimental measurements. Eventually, chronic daily intake and lifetime cancer risk for routine operations through the two seasons of a year are estimated through the simulation model. Root mean square errors are 0.19 and 0.17 for wind speed and concentration, respectively. Lifetime risk assessments of workers are 0.4-3.8 and 0.0096-0.25 per 1000 workers in stable and unstable atmospheric conditions, respectively. Exposure risk is unacceptable for the head of shift work, chief engineer, and general workers in 141 days (38.77%) in a year. The results of this study show that computational fluid dynamics is a useful tool for modeling of benzene exposure in a complex geometry and can be used to estimate lifetime risks of occupation groups in a refinery setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Bayatian
- School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Khosro Ashrafi
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mansour Rezazadeh Azari
- Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Center and School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Javad Jafari
- School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yadollah Mehrabi
- School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Chiarella P, Tranfo G, Pigini D, Carbonari D. Is it possible to use biomonitoring for the quantitative assessment of formaldehyde occupational exposure? Biomark Med 2016; 10:1287-1303. [PMID: 27924628 DOI: 10.2217/bmm-2016-0146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The European classification, labeling and packaging classified formaldehyde as human carcinogen Group 1B and mutagen 2, fostering the re-evaluation of the exposure risk in occupational settings. Although formaldehyde exposure is traditionally measured in air, many efforts were made to identify specific exposure biomarkers: urinary formaldehyde, formic acid and DNA damage indicators. Though used in combination, none of these seems satisfactory. The influence of the metabolism on exogenous formaldehyde levels, the exposure to other xenobiotics, the difference in genetic background and metabolism efficiency, misled the relationship between genotoxicity and exposure data. Nevertheless, the limitation of adverse effects to the local contact sites hampers biomonitoring. Here we discuss the feasibility of formaldehyde biomonitoring and the use of DNA, DNA-protein cross-links and protein adducts as potential biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieranna Chiarella
- INAIL Research - Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology & Hygiene, Via Fontana Candida 1 - 00078 Monte Porzio Catone (RM), Italy
| | - Giovanna Tranfo
- INAIL Research - Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology & Hygiene, Via Fontana Candida 1 - 00078 Monte Porzio Catone (RM), Italy
| | - Daniela Pigini
- INAIL Research - Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology & Hygiene, Via Fontana Candida 1 - 00078 Monte Porzio Catone (RM), Italy
| | - Damiano Carbonari
- INAIL Research - Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology & Hygiene, Via Fontana Candida 1 - 00078 Monte Porzio Catone (RM), Italy
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Radiological Impacts and Regulation of Rare Earth Elements in Non-Nuclear Energy Production. ENERGIES 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/en8032066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Hsu YC, Chao HR, Shih SI. Human exposure to airborne aldehydes in Chinese medicine clinics during moxibustion therapy and its impact on risks to health. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2015; 50:260-271. [PMID: 25594119 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2015.981112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Many air toxicants, and especially aldehydes, are generated by moxibustion, which means burning Artemisia argyi. Our goal was to investigate indoor-air aldehyde emissions in Chinese medicine clinics (CMCs) during moxibustion to further evaluate the potential health risks, including cancer risk and non-cancer risk, to the medical staff and adult patients. First, the indoor-air-quality in 60 public sites, including 15 CMCs, was investigated. Four CMCs with frequent use of moxibustion were selected from the 15 CMCs to gather the indoor airborne aldehydes in the waiting and therapy rooms. The mean values of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in the CMCs' indoor air were 654 and 4230 μg m(-3), respectively, in the therapy rooms, and 155 and 850 μg m(-3), respectively, in the waiting rooms. The average lifetime cancer risks (Rs) and non-cancer risks (hazard quotients: HQs) of airborne formaldehyde and acetaldehyde among the CMC medical staff exceeded the acceptable criteria (R < 1.00 × 10(-3) and HQ < 1.00) for occupational workers. The patients' Rs and HQs were also slightly higher than the critical values (R = 1.00 × 10(-6) and HQ = 1.00). Our results indicate that airborne aldehydes pose a significant threat to the health of medical staff, and slightly affected the patients' health, during moxibustion in the CMCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chyun Hsu
- a Department of Environmental Engineering , Kun Shan University , Tainan City , Taiwan
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