| Title: | A pilot study characterizing tetrachloroethylene exposure with exhaled breath in an impacted community |
| Author(s): | Liu S; Yan EZ; Turyk ME; Katta SS; Rasti AF; Lee JH; Alajlouni M; Wallace TE; Catt W; Aikins EA; |
| Address: | "School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA. Electronic address: saliu@purdue.edu. School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA. School of Public Health, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA. Martinsville Indiana Superfund Site Association, Martinsville, IN, USA. Mold Diagnostics, Monrovia, IN, USA" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118756 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1873-6424 (Electronic) 0269-7491 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Martinsville, Indiana overlays four groundwater contamination plumes, including a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-designated Superfund site. The primary contaminants are tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Martinsville represents many similar communities facing the challenge of groundwater and soil contamination and vapor intrusion, where residents are often frustrated by the lack of help in understanding and addressing the problem. The objective of this study was to evaluate PCE in exhaled breath to identify and quantify exposure to PCE and to explore the extent and level of PCE exposure among community residents. We measured chlorinated VOCs in exhaled breath samples from 38 healthy individuals who lived either in a contamination area or outside any plume area. We also measured VOCs in indoor air and tap water samples collected from 10 homes. PCE was detected in all exhaled breath samples (mean: 6.6 mug/m(3); range: 1.9-44 mug/m(3)) and tap water samples (mean: 0.74 mug/L; range: 0.39-0.92 mug/L). PCE was detected in six of nine (66%) homes with air concentrations ranging from 1.6 to 70 mug/m(3), exceeding the EPA action level of 42 mug/m(3). We did not detect TCE or any other chlorinated VOCs in these samples. PCE exposure occurred among individuals living on the EPA Superfund site, as well as among those living on other plume sites and those living outside any known plumes. Preventive measures should focus on identifying highly exposed groups and reducing their exposures, followed by addressing moderately elevated exposures in the community. Our results demonstrated that PCE in exhaled breath can be used as an effective tool in community engaged environmental health research to evaluate the extent and level of community exposure, increase awareness, and promote residents' participation in research and site cleanup decision-making" |
| Keywords: | *Groundwater Humans Pilot Projects *Tetrachloroethylene/analysis *Trichloroethylene/analysis *Volatile Organic Compounds Community exposure Community-engaged research Exhaled breath Superfund site Tetrachloroethylene Vapor intrusion; |
| Notes: | "MedlineLiu, Sa Yan, Eileen Ziyao Turyk, Mary Ellen Katta, Sankalp Srisai Rasti, Arteen Fazl Lee, Jung Hyun Alajlouni, Marwan Wallace, Thomas Edward Catt, Wade Aikins, Elizabeth Ann eng T03 OH008615/OH/NIOSH CDC HHS/ England 2021/12/31 Environ Pollut. 2022 Mar 15; 297:118756. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118756. Epub 2021 Dec 27" |
