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. 2023 Jul 1;13(1):10670.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-37647-3.

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

Amir Hossein Khoshakhlagh  1 , Saeid Yazdanirad  2   3 , Mahdi Mousavi  4 , Agnieszka Gruszecka-Kosowska  5 , Mehran Shahriyari  6 , Hassan Rajabi-Vardanjani  7
Affiliations

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

Amir Hossein Khoshakhlagh et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

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.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Concentration of BTEX (mg/m3) in the breathing zones of the various workstations in summer and winter seasons.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison of mean BTEX exposure values and threshold limit values (TLVs).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Probability distribution and percentile related to non-carcinogenic risk of exposure to BTEX in summer season.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Probability distribution and percentile related to non-carcinogenic risk of exposure to BTEX in winter season.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Probability distribution and percentile related to carcinogenic risk of exposure to benzene and ethylbenzene in summer season.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Probability distribution and percentile related to carcinogenic risk of exposure to benzene and ethylbenzene in winter season.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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