| Title: | "Cancer risk assessment for exposure to hazardous volatile organic compounds in Calgary, Canada" |
| Author(s): | Xiong Y; Zhou J; Xing Z; Du K; |
| Address: | "Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada. Electronic address: ying.xiong1@ucalgary.ca. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, China. Electronic address: jbzhou@swpu.edu.cn. Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada. Electronic address: zhenyu.xing2@ucalgary.ca. Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada. Electronic address: kddu@ucalgary.ca" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129650 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1879-1298 (Electronic) 0045-6535 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Oil and natural gas (O&G) extraction operations emit hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in quantities that have adverse effects on human health. Our current understanding of the exposure risks associated with upstream O&G exploitations remains limited, and very few quantitative on-site remediation strategies have been proposed. To this end, we assessed the health risks associated with the emission of hazardous VOCs and presented a set of remediation goals for the city of Calgary, which is a major center of the Canadian oil industry. Results from probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) suggested that although VOCs had a negligible impact on chronic non-cancer-associated risk, inhalation-associated cancer risk remained a significant concern. Carbon tetrachloride, benzene, and 1,3-butadiene were the dominant VOCs, representing 88% of the integrated inhalation cancer risk (= 7.8 x 10(-5)); background, solid fuel combustion, and O&G extraction were among the primary sources that posed the greatest threat to human health. Results of a Monte Carlo simulation revealed that the probability of developing cancer due to inhalation of hazardous VOCs was approximately 13.1% on clean air days and 45.9% on days with significant levels of air pollution. Preliminary remediation goals (PRGs) included reductions of 24.2-65.1% and 11.4-50.9% targeting priority VOCs and their sources, respectively. Taken together, our findings suggest that stringent control of the sources of VOCs, particularly fossil fuel combustion, is an urgent priority. PRA coupled with PRGs provides informative risk assessments and suggests quantitative remediation strategies that can be applied toward improved management of hazardous pollutants" |
| Keywords: | *Air Pollutants/analysis Canada Environmental Monitoring Humans Inhalation Exposure/analysis *Neoplasms/chemically induced/epidemiology Risk Assessment *Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis Cancer risk Hazardous VOCs Monte Carlo simulation Preliminary reme; |
| Notes: | "MedlineXiong, Ying Zhou, Jiabin Xing, Zhenyu Du, Ke eng England 2021/01/25 Chemosphere. 2021 Jun; 272:129650. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129650. Epub 2021 Jan 14" |
