Modeling Human Exposure Levels to Airborne Volatile Organic Compounds by the Hebei Spirit Oil Spill

Abstract

ObjectivesThe goal was to model and quantify the atmospheric concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as the result of the Hebei Spirit oil spill, and to predict whether the exposure levels were abnormally high or not.MethodsWe developed a model for calculating the airborne concentration of VOCs that are produced in an oil spill accident. The model was applied to a practical situation, namely the Hebei Spirit oil spill. The accuracy of the model was verified by comparing the results with previous observation data. The concentrations were compared with the currently used air quality standards.ResultsEvaporation was found to be 10- to 1,000-fold higher than the emissions produced from a surrounding industrial complex. The modeled concentrations for benzene failed to meet current labor environmental standards, and the concentration of benzene, toluene, ortho- meta- para-xylene were higher than the values specified by air quality standards and guideline values on the ocean. The concentrations of total VOCs were much higher than indoor environmental criteria for the entire Taean area for a few days.ConclusionsThe extent of airborne exposure was clearly not the same as that for normal conditions.

Burden of disease attributable to the Hebei Spirit oil spill in Taean, Korea

“…Residents in area 4, the reference area, had very little participation in the clean-up efforts, which could account for differences in disease prevalence between area 4 and other areas. In addition, 72 h after the oil spill, the downwind direction changed from the southeast to the west and as a result, volatile components did not move further inland 16. The benzene concentrations in the atmosphere after the Hebei Spirit oil spill simulated in our previous study24 also showed that concentrations reduced rapidly with distance from the contaminated coastline.…”

“…Residents in Taean County and some islands in neighbouring Boryeong County were included in the survey. The Boryeong islands were expected to be affected by the oil spill because the islands are located in the affected area based on the wind direction and tidal current at the time of the spill 16. Kim et al 16 reported that the VOCs moved in a southeasterly direction, following the coastline from the accident point.…”

Determinants of airborne benzene evaporating from fresh crude oils released into seawater

“…Previous field studies report that benzene exposure is highly dependent on the benzene content of the oil, weather conditions such as temperature, wind speed and turbulence, distance from the release point and weathering time of the oil (Eley et al, 1989;IKU Petroleum Research, 1995;Jones et al, 1992). Full-scale exposure models are able to take all of these factors into account (Hanna and Drivas, 1993;Kim et al, 2012;Lehr, 1996;Thayer and Tell, 1999) and could be further developed to include the effect of physicochemical properties, such as pour point, to predict potential exposure with time more precisely, also for thin oil films.…”

“…A recent Norwegian field study indicated that most TVOCs evaporates within 1 h from an initially thin oil film formed by a bulk release of light crude oil in calm weather at sea (Gjesteland et al, 2017). Both previous field studies of benzene evaporation and full-scale exposure models indicate an elevated concentration of benzene in air after oil spills (Eley et al, 1989;Hanna and Drivas, 1993;IKU Petroleum Research, 1995;Jones et al, 1992;Kim et al, 2012;Lehr, 1996). As reported, the air concentration of benzene will depend on the amount of benzene in the oil and the release conditions, but no studies have assessed how other oil properties may affect the air concentration of benzene with time.…”

Health effect research on Hebei Spirit Oil Spill (HEROS) in Korea: a cohort profile

“…Exposure to crude oil was defined as high versus low using three criteria: distance from the oil spill,15 duration and/or intensity of clean-up work with consideration of the use of protective devices,19 and ambient concentration of VOCs at home at the initial time of accident calculated by the simulation modelling 40…”