Characterization and health risk assessment of VOCs in occupational environments in Buenos Aires, Argentina

COLMAN LERNER ESTEBAN; SANCHEZ E; JORGE SAMBETH; PORTA ANDRES

ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2012 vol. 55 p. 440 - 447

1352-2310

To detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air in small enterprises in La Plata city andsurrounding areas, sampling was conducted using passive diffusion monitors (3M-3500) and analysis ofthe samples were performed byCG-FID. Analytic methodology was optimized for 23 VOCs (n-alkanes,cycloalkanes, aromatic and chlorinated compounds, ketones and terpenes compounds) by determiningthe recovery factor and detection limit for each analyte. Different recovery values were obtained bydesorbing with a mixture of dichloromethane: methanol (50:50), with a standard deviation lower than5%. Enterprise analyzed included chemical analysis laboratories, sewing workrooms, electromechanicalrepair and car painting centers, take away food shops, and a photocopy center. The highest levels of VOCswere found to be in electromechanical repair and car painting centers (hexane, BTEX, CHCl3, CCl4) followedby chemical analysis laboratories and sewing workrooms. Cancer and noncancer risks wereassessed using conventional approaches (HQ and LCR, US EPA) using the benzene, trichloroethylene,chloroform for cancer risk, and toluene, xylene and n-hexane, for noncancer risks as markers. The resultsshowed different LCR for benzene and trichloroethylene between the different indoor environmentsanalyzed (electromechanical repair and car painting center[others) and chloroform (laboratory >-others), but comparing with the results obtained by other research, are in similar order of magnitude forequivalents activities. Similar finding were founded for HQ. Comparing these results with the workerprotection legislation the electromechanical repair and car painting center and chemical analysis laboratoriesare close to the limits advised by OSHA and ACGIH. These facts show the importance of the use ofabatement technologies for the complete reduction of VOCs levels, to mitigate their impact in theworker’s health and their venting to the atmosphere.