Research Article

1. In the name of Allah, The Most Beneficent,
The Most Merciful.

2. Cancer Risk Assessment Benzene,
Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX)
in the Production of Insulation Bituminous
Saad Farooqi
CIIT/FA18-R07-004/ATD
MS-ES
Department of Environmental Sciences
COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus
Faezeh Borhani, Alireza Noorpoor*

3. 3
Introduction
Objectives
Materials and Methods
Result and Discussion
Conclusion

4.  Production and use of chemicals are increasing
worldwide.
 Toxic chemicals are main environmental factors.
 Urbanization and development has leaded to
environmental pollution.
 Exposure to pollutants, such as Benzene, Toluene,
Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX) have adverse health
impacts, including premature mortality.
4
Introduction

5. Cont..
 Sources are combustion process, cigarette smoke,
gasoline evaporation and industrial activities such as
petrochemical process, storage distribution, paint and
solvent.
 Outdoor air pollution has become a major concern for
public health world widely.
 Short-term exposure lead to increase of mortality, rates of
hospital admissions and emergency department visits,
exacerbation of chronic respiratory conditions and
decrease in lung function.
5

6. Cont..
 The particulate matters (PM) concludes the occurrence of
acute respiratory infections, lung cancer and chronic
respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
 High concentrations of BTEX is increase the potential of
neurotoxicity to decrease the potential of
hematotoxicity/carcinogenicity due to competitive metabolic
interactions among the mixture components.
6

7. 7
To evaluate the emission costs of the BTEX
compounds of Bituminous production units.
To assess the rate of cancer and non-cancer
risk of these compounds.

8. 8
Study Area
Field Measurement
Instrumentation
Risk Assessment Method

9.  Delijan, the fourth polluted city in Markazi province, Iran (fig. 1).
 The city is 120 km far from the provincial capital (Arak city).
9
Study Area

10.  Charcoal tubes (Supelco, Inc., Bellefonte, PA).
 Split into two sections of 100 mg and 50 mg.
 Separated by glass wool and urethane foam.
 The larger section for VOCs and
 Smaller section for examined and corrected.
 Air sampling pumps (SKC-model 224-44EX, SKC Inc.) is used.
10
Field Measurement

11.  To measure the concentrations of BTEX, the charcoal was
placed in a septum sealed vial.
 Then 1 ml carbon disulphide (CS2) was added.
 The sample was agitated ultrasonically for 3 min to 5 min.
 Afterwards 2 μl of the sample was injected into a Gas
Chromatography with FID detector (Perkin-Elmer model
sigma 3B).
 To assess the correctness of sampling, we treated similarly to
the smaller section.
11
Instrumentation

12.  In the process of risk assessment, there are four steps:
 Hazard Identification,
 Dose Response assessment,
 Exposure Assessment,
 Risk Characterization.
12
Risk Assessment Method

13.  CDIinhal - Concentration Daily Intake by inhalation.
 Cair - Concentration of heavy metals in air (ng/m3).
 EF- The number of contact days.
 ED- The number of years during which the possibility for sickness exist.
 ET- The number of hours with contaminators during day and night.
 AT- The human longevity which is assumed 70 years (the mean
longevity) for cancer diseases.
13
Risk Assessment Method

14.  The Hazard Index (HI) based on the following equation
via respiratory contact for each of the BTEX compounds
is observed in the region.
14
Risk Assessment Method

15. 15

16. Cont..
Benzene
16
Fig 1. Benzene concentrations in Bituminous production units.
0.63
0.096
0.21
0.91
1.27
0.051 0.056
0.65
1.83
0.41
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Benzene

17. Cont..
17
Fig 2. Toluene concentrations in Bituminous production units.
0.26
0.23
0.087
0.71
0.65
0.042
0.074 0.079
0.12
0.41
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Toluene
Toluene

18. Cont..
18
Fig 1. Ethylbenzene concentrations in Bituminous production units.
0.048 0.057 0.054
0.118 0.114
0.086
0.063
0.601
0.531
0.151
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Ethylbenzene
Ethylbenzene

19. Cont..
19
Fig 1. Xylene concentrations in Bituminous production units.
0.037
0.32
0.26
0.074 0.059 0.052 0.054
1.26
0.093
0.41
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Xylene
Xylene

20. Cont..
Measured parameters of the
air
Average Total Volume
(μgr/m3)
Average Total Volume
(ppb)
Benzene 1.831 0.575
Toluene 1.104 0.294
Ethylbenzene 0.787 0.182
Xylene 1.133 0.262
20
Table 1. Average total volume of measuring the concentration of Bituminous production units.

21. Non-carcinogenic Risk
Measured parameters
of the air
Inhalation non-
carcinogenic
(CDI)
Inhalation
(HQ)
Benzene 0.000293 0.00975
Toluene 0.000126 0.0000353
Ethylbenzene 0.000176 0.000126
Xylene 0.000181 0.00181
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Table 2. Inhalation Non-Carcinogenic

22. Carcinogenic Risk
Measured parameters
of the air
Inhalation non-
carcinogenic
(CDI)
Inhalation
(HQ)
Benzene 0.105 8.15E-07
Toluene 0.063 0.294
Ethylbenzene 0.0449 0.182
Xylene 1.133 0.262
22
Table 2. Inhalation Non-Carcinogenic

23. Conclusion
 The concentration of the BTEX are in the allowable limit.
 The HQ of the BTEX is lower than the 1, it means that
they have no adverse effect on the worker.
 The level of pollutants may be increased in other
seasons;
 The researchers need to worked on the same area and
further explore it in other seasons.
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