Analysis of benzene air quality standards, monitoring methods and concentrations in indoor and outdoor environment

Abstract

Benzene is a proven carcinogen. Its synergistic action with other pollutants can damage different components of the biosphere. Literature comparing the air quality standards of benzene, its monitoring methods and global concentrations are sparse. This study compiles the worldwide available air quality standards for benzene and highlights the importance of strict and uniform standards all over the world. It was found that out of the 193 United Nation member states, only 53 countries, including the European Union member states, have ambient air quality standard for benzene. Even where standards were available, in most cases, they were not protective of public health. An extensive literature review was conducted to compile the available monitoring and analysis methods for benzene, and found that the most preferred method, i.e, analyzing by Gas Chromatography and Mass spectroscopy is not cost effective and not suitable for real-time continuous monitoring. The study compared the concentrations of benzene in the indoor and outdoor air reported from different countries. Though the higher concentrations of benzene noticed in the survey were mostly from Asian countries, both in the case of indoor and outdoor air, the concentrations were not statistically different across the various continents. Based on the analyzed data, the average benzene level in the ambient air of Asian countries (371 μg/m3) was approximately 3.5 times higher than the indoor benzene levels (111 μg/m3). Similarly, the outdoor to the indoor ratio of benzene level in European and North American Countries were found to be 1.2 and 7.7, respectively. This compilation will help the policymakers to include/revise the standards for benzene in future air quality guideline amendments.

Indoor Air Quality: A Focus on the European Legislation and State-of-the-Art Research in Italy

“…Noteworthy, at the European Community level, the resolution of 13 March 2019, defends clean air for everyone and highlights that people spend almost 90% of their time in indoors [6]. In these environments, the air can be significantly more polluted compared to outside [7] and, therefore, considered mandatory to issue indoor air quality certificates for both new and old buildings. From this perspective, it urges member states to adopt and implement measures to combat air pollution at the source.…”

Analysis of Air, Water and Noise Level Quality Due to Industrials Activities in Aceh Province

“…However, each different area shows different noise level since there are various factors both from industrial activities and other human activities. Several studies in scientific publications on air quality have been reported [19][20][21]. Where the results show that the average benzene level in ambient air in Asian countries (371μg/m 3 ) was about 3.5 times higher than the level of benzene in the room (111μg/m 3 ).…”

Characterizing the Performance of a Compact BTEX GC-PID for Near-Real Time Analysis and Field Deployment

“…These compounds are emitted as combustion byproducts of fossil fuels and biomass, including motor vehicles and wildfires, and through volatilization from crude oil or its derivatives, including gasoline and industrial solvents [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. BTEX compounds are classified as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and are regulated by a large number of agencies worldwide including the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) [ 8 , 9 ].…”