- Thesis topic: Source Apportionment and health risk assessment of air pollution exposure

- Doi: https://doi.org/10.6840/cycu201900023

- Abstract: 

     Monitoring air quality in municipal wastewater treatment plants is an initial stage in preventing several problems related to air emissions. This study measured 103 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), total VOC (TVOC), and some prominent air pollutants (CO, CO2, NH3, H2S, PM1, PM2.5, PM7, PM10, TSP) in two municipal wastewater treatment plants located in North of Taiwan. Thirty-three VOCs are identified in the first of municipal wastewater treatment plant which categorized as alkane, aromatic, alkene, ester, ether, haloalkane and ketone. Five dominant sources of air pollutants were determined from principal component analysis (PCA) and absolute principal component score (APCS). The first source (35.21%) involves indoor activities (such as workers particulate matter resuspension), and outdoor activities (such as vehicles exhaust). Source 2 (26.04%) was auto painting and domestic wastewater decomposition. Source 3 (16.13%) was solvent use. Source 4 (7.03%) was road dust. Source 5 (15.59%) was a byproduct of chlorination treatment process. While in the second wastewater treatment plant twenty four VOCs were identified, some of which were categorized as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) and possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The health risk for residents nearby wastewater treatment plant was estimated following the method from United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The cumulative of carcinogenic risk was 3.48 × 10-5 and categorized as a possible risk, whereas the magnitude for non-carcinogenic risk index was less than 1. In the present study, indoor air quality parameters including CO2, CO, formaldehyde, TVOCs, bacteria, fungi, PM2.5, PM10 and O3 were investigated in four kind restaurants with different cooking methods. Occupational health risk for restaurant workers of inhalation formaldehyde was estimated based on the method provided by USEPA and ACGIH. Formaldehyde has a concentration exceeds Taiwan Indoor Air Quality Management Act. The lifetime cancer risk based on the method provided by USEPA for male worker in the range from 1.01 × 10-4 to 3.52 × 10-4, while for female worker in the range from 8.30 × 10-5 to 2.89 × 10-4 and were categorized as probable and definite risk. According to the method provided by ACGIH, occupational cancer risk in the range from 0.69 to 2.4.

Keywords: air pollutant, municipal wastewater treatment, PCA, APCS, carcinogenic risk, VOCs, formaldehyde, restaurant