Risk Assessment of Ambient Air Pollutants and Health Impact around Fuel Stations in Urban Cities of KSA

Mubashir Zafar, Syed Tafazzul H. Zaidi, Syed Shajee Husain, Noreen M. Bukhari

Abstract


Background: In Saudi Arabia, fuel dispensing facilities commonly present around the residential places, educational institutions, and various health care facilities. Fuel pollutants such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) and its alkyl derivatives are harmful to human health because of their toxic, mutagenic, or carcinogenic properties. The aim of this study was to determine the BTX concentration levels of common pollutants in and around fuel stations and their harmful health effects in the urban cites of KSA. Methods: Forty fuel dispensing facilities were randomly selected on the basis of three different areas: residential, traffic intersection, and petrol pump locations (refueling stations). Portable ambient analyzer was used for measuring BTX concentration. t‑test was applied to determine the difference between these different areas. Results: All mean concentration values of pollutants such as BTX around residential, traffic intersection, and fuel stations are exceeding the limits of air quality standards values (P < 0.01). The mean levels of benzene are 10.3 and 11.07 ppm in Dammam and Khobar, respectively, and they exceed the reference level of 0.5 ppm. Hazard quotient was more than >1, which shows that carcinogenic probability has increased those who were living and working near fuel stations. Conclusions: The results found that the high concentration of pollutants (BTX) is in the environment around fuel stations. The environmental contamination associated with BTX in petrol fuel stations impulses the necessity of preventive programs to reduce the further air quality deterioration and reduce the harmful health effects.

Keywords


Air; benzene; fuel; pollution; toluene; xylenes

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ukpaka CP, Abowei FM, Okerie U. Evaluation of biostimulation

rate of BTEX compounds of contaminated site. Multidisciplinary

Journal of Research Development, 2009;12:114‑20.

Gauderman WJ, Vora H, McConnell R, Berhane K, Gilliland F,

Thomas D, et al. Effect of exposure to traffic on lung

development from 10 to 18 years of age: A cohort study. Lancet

;369:571‑7.

Hinwood AL, Rodriguez C, Runnion T, Farrar D, Murray F,

Horton A, et al. Risk factors for increased BTEX exposure in

four Australian cities. Chemosphere 2007;66:533-41.

Symanski E, Stock TH, Tee PG, Chan W. Demographic,

residential, and behavioral determinants of elevated exposures

to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes among the

U.S. population: Results from 1999-2000 NHANES. J Toxicol

Environ Health A 2009;72:915-24.

Caselli M, de Gennaro G, Marzocca A, Trizio L, Tutino M.

Assessment of the impact of the vehicular traffic on BTEX

concentration in ring roads in urban areas of Bari (Italy).

Chemosphere 2010;81:306‑11.

Sergio MC, Graciela A, Monica RC, Katia MP. The impact of

BTEX emissions from gas stations into the atmosphere. Atmos

Pollut Res 2012;3:163‑9.

Cagliari J, Fedrizzi F, Finotti AR, Teixeira CE, Do Nascimento I,.

Volatilization of monoaromatic compounds (benzene, toluene,

and xylenes; BTX) from gasoline: Effect of the ethanol. Environ

Toxicol Chem 2010;29:808‑12.

ACGIH. TLVs and BEIs. Based on the documentation of the

threshold limit values for chemical substances and physical

agents & biological exposure indices. Cincinnati, OH, USA,

;2:13‑29.

Majumdar D, Dutta C, Mukherjee AK, Sen S. Source

apportionment of VOCs at the petrol pumps in Kolkata, India;

exposure of workers and assessment of associated health risk.

Transp Res D Transp Environ 2008;13:524‑30.

Esteve‑Turrillas FA, Pastor A, de la Guardia M. Assessing air

quality inside vehicles and at filling stations by monitoring

benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes with the use of

semipermeable devices. Anal Chim Acta 2007;593:108‑116.4.

Sandhya C, Ashok K. Monitoring of benzene, toluene,

ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) concentrations in ambient air

in Firozabad, India. Int Arch Appli Sci Techno 2012;3:92‑6.

Hoffmann B, Moebus S, Mohlenkamp S, Stang A, Lehmann N,

Dragano N, et al. Residential exposure to traffic is associated

with coronary atherosclerosis. Circulation 2007;116:489‑96.

Hein R, Aung BT, Lwin O, Zaidi SH. Assessment of occupational

benzene exposure in petrol filling stations at Rangoon. Ann

Occup Hyg 1989;33:133‑6.

Chauhan SK, Saini N, Yadav VB. Recent trends of volatile

organic compounds in ambient air and its health impacts:

A review. Int J Technol Res Eng 2014;1:667‑78.3.

McClellan RO, Hesterberg TW, Wall JC. Evaluation of

carcinogenic hazard of diesel engine exhaust needs to consider

revolutionary changes in diesel technology. Regulatory

Toxicology and Pharmacology. 2012;63:225-58.

Johnson ES, Langard S, Lin YS. A critique of benzene exposure

in the general population. Sci Total Environ 2007;374:183‑98.

Veraldi A, Costantini AS, Bolejack V, Miligi L, Vineis P, van

Loveren H. Immunotoxic effects of chemicals: A matrix for

occupational and environmental epidemiological studies. Am J

Indus Med 2006;49:1046-55.

Zabiegala B, Urbanowicz M, Szymanska K Namiesnik J.

Applicati on of passive sampling technique for monitoring

of BTEX concentration in urban air: Field comparison

of different types of passive samplers. J Chromatogr Sci

;48:167‑75.5.

Todd D, Chessin R, Colman J. Toxicological Profile for Total

Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH). In: U.S, ed: Health and Human

Services Public Health Service Agency for Toxic Substances and

Disease Registry. 1999. [online], Available at https://stacks.cdc.

gov/view/cdc/6416/cdc_6416_DS1.pdf. [Last accessed on 2020

Aug 15].

Tunsaringkarn T, Siriwong W, Rungsiyothin A, Nopparatbundit S.

Occupational exposure of gasoline station workers to BTEX

compounds in Bangkok, Thailand. Int J Occup Environ Med

;3:117‑25.

Duarte‑Davidson R, Courage C, Rushton L, Levy L. Benzene

in the environment: An assessment of the potential risks to the

health of the population. Occup Environ Med 2001;58:2‑13.

NIOSH. NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Report No.

‑149, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication; 2007. Available from:

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005‑149/pdfs/2005‑149.pdf.[Last

accessed on 2020 Aug 15].

Pallavi .S and Chirashree. G. Review of assessment of benzene,

toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) concentration in urban

atmosphere of Delhi. Int J Phys Sci 2012;7:850‑60.

Gauderman WJ, Urman R, Avol E, Berhane K, McConnell R,

Rappaport E. Association of improved air quality with lung

development in children. N Engl J Med 2015;372:905‑13.

Kerbachi R, Boughedaoui M, Bounoua L, Keddam M. Ambient

air pollution by aromatic hydrocarbons in Algiers. Atmos

Environ 2006;40:3995‑4003.

Cruz LPS, Alves LP, Santos AVS, Esteves MB, Gomes IVS,

Nunes LSS. Assessment of BTEX concentrations in air ambient

of gas stations using passive sampling and the health risks for

workers. J Environ Prot 2017;8:12‑25