Time series analysis of the air pollution around Ploiesti oil refining complex, one of the most polluted regions in Romania

Bodor, Katalin; Szép, Róbert; Bodor, Zsolt

doi:10.1038/s41598-022-16015-7

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The multiannual aggregated average of the period was 3.5 µg/m 3 . Compared with the figures retrieved from the literature ( Table S2 ), there are few cities that experienced higher values (e.g., Rome, Shanghai, Athens, Delhi) [ 9 , 18 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ]. However, if the annual average of 6.14 µg/m 3 recorded at Brazi, near Ploiesti in 2021, is considered, then the area is under a heavy impact on benzene and other VOCs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…The city remained anchored mainly in the oil processing industry and extractive industries related to this sector (construction equipment/building machinery, electrical equipment, metallic construction and metal products, chemicals and man-made fibers, manufacturing of rubber and plastic products, etc.). Unfortunately, the urban residential areas are located relatively close to the industrial facilities [ 18 ]. Due to its large population, Ploieşti City also has a heavy traffic density.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Romania, there are very few recent articles regarding the benzene outdoor levels in urban areas. When using the syntax “air pollution-benzene–Romania” for searching the Clarivate Web of Science database from 2015 to 2023, 10 articles were found, and only 3 present the situation of outdoor concentrations of various pollutants including benzene in several Romanian cities, i.e., Timisoara [ 16 ], Arad [ 17 ], and Ploieşti [ 18 ]. None of them analyzed the evolution of benzene after 2019, including the lockdown period, and no health impact assessment was found.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

A Three-Year Analysis of Toxic Benzene Levels and Associated Impact in Ploieşti City, Romania

Sanda,

Dunea,

Iordache

et al. 2023

Toxics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study examines the levels of benzene and the potential health impact during three years of continuous monitoring (2019–2021), including the COVID-lockdown period from 2020 in a city that is an important Romanian center for petroleum refining and associated product manufacturing. The dataset contains benzene, toluene, NOx, PM10 concentrations, and meteorological factors monitored by six automatic stations from the national network of which four are in the city and two outside. Special attention was given to the benzene dynamics to establish patterns related to the health impact and leukemia. An assessment of the exposure was performed using EPA’s ExpoFIRST v. 2.0 for computing the inhalation Average Daily Dose (ADD) and Lifetime Average Daily Dose (LADD). The health impact was estimated based on several indicators such as lifetime cancer risk (LCR), Hazard Quotient (HQ), Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY), and Environmental burden of disease (EBD). Overall, the annual average of all stations was almost similar between years i.e., 3.46 in 2019, 3.41 in 2020, and 3.63 µg/m3 in 2021, respectively. The average of all stations during the lockdown period was 2.67 µg/m3, which was lower than the multiannual average of the 2019–2021 period, i.e., 3.5 µg/m3. Significant correlations were present between benzene and other pollutants such as NOx (r = 0.57), PM10 fraction (r = 0.70), and toluene (r = 0.69), and benzene and temperature (r = −0.46), humidity (r = 0.28), and wind speed (r = −0.34). Regarding the ADD, in all scenarios, the most affected age categories are small children, despite a lower outdoor exposure time. From birth to <70 years, the ADD varied depending on the exposure scenario resulting in 3.27 × 10−4, 5.6 × 10−4, and 4.04 × 104 mg/kg-day, and 3.95 × 10−4, 10.6 × 10−4, and 6.76 × 10−4 mg/kg-day for the LADD, respectively. The Integrated Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILTCR) values were 14.1 × 10−5 in winter, 9.04 × 10−5 in spring, 8.74 × 10−5 in summer, and 10.6 × 10−4 in autumn. The ILTCR annual averages were 1.08 × 10−4 (2019), 1.07 × 10−4 (2020), 1.04 × 10−4 (2021), and 1.06 × 10−4 for the entire period. The resulting ILTCR values point out very risky conditions, with the annual averages reaching the definite cancer risk category. The corresponding burden based on the DALY’s loss due to leukemia in Ploieşti was estimated at 0.291 (2 μg/m3 benzene), 0.509 (3.5 μg/m3 benzene), 0.582 (4 μg/m3 benzene), and 0.873 DALYs per 100,000 inhabitants (6 μg/m3 benzene), respectively. The current study provides useful insights for a better understanding of the exposure levels to benzene and associated health impact in Ploieşti despite the limitations determined by the data hiatus and incomplete or missing information regarding the health impact.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Three-Year Analysis of Toxic Benzene Levels and Associated Impact in Ploieşti City, Romania

Sanda,

Dunea,

Iordache

et al. 2023

Toxics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This is due to the vast number of activities involved, like exploration and drilling, as well as due to the range of products being generated, namely oil, gas, and refinery and petrochemical products 1 – 3 . In oil-related industries various chemical compound are emitted 4 , among which volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are one of the most abundant 2 . Regarding that oil and petroleum products are the main sources of VOCs 5 , air pollution is the major concern related with industrial emissions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Summer and winter variations of BTEX concentrations in an oil refinery complex and health risk assessment based on Monte-Carlo simulations

Khoshakhlagh,

Yazdanirad,

Mousavi

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The summer and winter concentrations of BTEX pollutants were investigated in various workplaces of an oil Refinery, Iran. In total 252 air samples from the breathing zones of the following employees were collected: supervisors, safetymen, repairmen, site men, and all workers. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk values were calculated based on the USEPA methodology using Monte Carlo simulations. BTEX concentrations were higher in the summer than in the winter season for all workstations, especially for toluene and ethylbenzene. The mean values of exposure to benzene for repairmen and site men were higher than threshold limit value of 1.60 mg/m3 for both seasons. Non-carcinogenic risk (HQ) values calculated for summer season for benzene, ethylbenzene, and xylene in all workstations, as well as for toluene for repairmen and site men exceeded acceptable level of 1. In winter season the mean HQ values for benzene and xylene in all workstations, for toluene for repairmen and site men, and for ethylbenzene for supervisors, repairmen, and site men were also > 1. For all workstations definite carcinogenic risk was indicated as calculated LCR values for benzene and ethylbenzene exposure were higher than 1 × 10–4 in both summer and winter seasons.

show abstract

“…These benzene releases are not limited to Houston, or even the USA, but occur wherever the petrochemical industry is located. Releases of benzene and other pollutants associated with the petrochemical sector are found throughout Europe (Bodor et al, 2022; Jephcote & Mah, 2019) and South Korea (Truong et al, 2016) to name a few. Regional health inequalities arise from uneven benzene exposure—overall and caused by excursion events—as found in a pan‐European analysis of the petrochemical industry (Jephcote & Mah, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and demonstration of a data visualization platform of short‐term guidelines for ambient air levels of benzene during disaster response in Houston, Texas

Danforth

Portier

Ensor

et al. 2023

Integr Envir Assess & Manag

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Industrial disasters have caused hazardous air pollution and public health impacts. Response officials have developed limited exposure guidelines to direct them during the event; often, guidelines are outdated and may not represent relevant elevated‐exposure periods. The 2019 Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) fire in Houston, Texas led to large‐scale releases of benzene and presented a public health threat. This incident highlights the need for effective response and nimble, rapid public health communication. We developed a data‐driven visualization tool to store, display, and interpret ambient benzene concentrations to assist health officials during environmental emergencies. Guidance values to interpret risk from acute exposure to benzene were updated using recent literature that also considers exposure periodicity. The visualization platform can process data from different sampling instruments and air monitors automatically, and displays information publicly in real time, along with the associated risk information and action recommendations. The protocol was validated by applying it retrospectively to the ITC event. The new guidance values are 6–30 times lower than those derived by the Texas regulatory agency. Fixed‐site monitoring data, assessed using the protocol and revised thresholds, indicated that eight shelter‐in‐place and 17 air‐quality alerts may have been considered. At least one of these shelter‐in‐place alerts corresponded to prolonged, elevated benzene concentrations (~1000 ppb). This new tool addresses essential gaps in the timely communication of air pollution measurements, provides context to understand potential health risks from exposure to benzene, and provides a clear protocol for local officials in responding to industrial air releases of benzene. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;00:1–14. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

show abstract

Time series analysis of the air pollution around Ploiesti oil refining complex, one of the most polluted regions in Romania

Cited by 12 publications

References 29 publications

A Three-Year Analysis of Toxic Benzene Levels and Associated Impact in Ploieşti City, Romania

A Three-Year Analysis of Toxic Benzene Levels and Associated Impact in Ploieşti City, Romania

Summer and winter variations of BTEX concentrations in an oil refinery complex and health risk assessment based on Monte-Carlo simulations

Development and demonstration of a data visualization platform of short‐term guidelines for ambient air levels of benzene during disaster response in Houston, Texas

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About