Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air and tap water samples in residences of pregnant women living in an area of unconventional natural gas operations: Findings from the EXPERIVA study.
Gestational exposure
Hydraulic fracturing
Indoor air
Tap water
Unconventional natural gas
Volatile organic compounds
Journal
The Science of the total environment
ISSN: 1879-1026
Titre abrégé: Sci Total Environ
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 0330500
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
20 Jan 2022
20 Jan 2022
Historique:
received:
08
06
2021
revised:
13
08
2021
accepted:
05
09
2021
entrez:
25
11
2021
pubmed:
26
11
2021
medline:
27
11
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Northeastern British Columbia (Canada) is an area of unconventional natural gas (UNG) exploitation by hydraulic fracturing, which can release several contaminants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). To evaluate gestational exposure to contaminants in this region, we undertook the Exposures in the Peace River Valley (EXPERIVA) study. We aimed to: 1) measure VOCs in residential indoor air and tap water from EXPERIVA participants; 2) compare concentrations with those in the general population and explore differences related to sociodemographic and housing characteristics; and 3) determine associations between VOC concentrations and density/proximity to UNG wells. Eighty-five pregnant women participated. Passive air samplers were analyzed for 47 VOCs, and tap water samples were analyzed for 44 VOCs. VOC concentrations were compared with those from the Canadian Health Measure Survey (CHMS). We assessed the association between different metrics of well density/proximity and indoor air and tap water VOC concentrations using multiple linear regression. 40 VOCs were detected in >50% of air samples, whereas only 4 VOCs were detected in >50% of water samples. We observed indoor air concentrations >95th percentile of CHMS in 10-60% of samples for several compounds (acetone, 2-methyl-2-propanol, chloroform, 1,4-dioxane, hexanal, m/p-xylene, o-xylene, styrene, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, dodecane and decanal). Indoor air levels of chloroform and tap water levels of total trihalomethanes were higher in Indigenous participants compared to non-Indigenous participants. Indoor air levels of chloroform and acetone, and tap water levels of total trihalomethanes were positively associated with UNG wells density/proximity metrics. Indoor air BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes) levels were positively correlated with some well density/proximity metrics. Our results suggest higher exposure to certain VOCs in pregnant women living in an area of intense unconventional natural gas exploitation compared with the general Canadian population, and that well density/proximity is associated with increased exposure to certain VOCs.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Northeastern British Columbia (Canada) is an area of unconventional natural gas (UNG) exploitation by hydraulic fracturing, which can release several contaminants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). To evaluate gestational exposure to contaminants in this region, we undertook the Exposures in the Peace River Valley (EXPERIVA) study.
OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to: 1) measure VOCs in residential indoor air and tap water from EXPERIVA participants; 2) compare concentrations with those in the general population and explore differences related to sociodemographic and housing characteristics; and 3) determine associations between VOC concentrations and density/proximity to UNG wells.
METHODS
METHODS
Eighty-five pregnant women participated. Passive air samplers were analyzed for 47 VOCs, and tap water samples were analyzed for 44 VOCs. VOC concentrations were compared with those from the Canadian Health Measure Survey (CHMS). We assessed the association between different metrics of well density/proximity and indoor air and tap water VOC concentrations using multiple linear regression.
RESULTS
RESULTS
40 VOCs were detected in >50% of air samples, whereas only 4 VOCs were detected in >50% of water samples. We observed indoor air concentrations >95th percentile of CHMS in 10-60% of samples for several compounds (acetone, 2-methyl-2-propanol, chloroform, 1,4-dioxane, hexanal, m/p-xylene, o-xylene, styrene, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, dodecane and decanal). Indoor air levels of chloroform and tap water levels of total trihalomethanes were higher in Indigenous participants compared to non-Indigenous participants. Indoor air levels of chloroform and acetone, and tap water levels of total trihalomethanes were positively associated with UNG wells density/proximity metrics. Indoor air BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes) levels were positively correlated with some well density/proximity metrics.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest higher exposure to certain VOCs in pregnant women living in an area of intense unconventional natural gas exploitation compared with the general Canadian population, and that well density/proximity is associated with increased exposure to certain VOCs.
Identifiants
pubmed: 34818775
pii: S0048-9697(21)05319-5
doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150242
pii:
doi:
Substances chimiques
Air Pollutants
0
Natural Gas
0
Volatile Organic Compounds
0
Water
059QF0KO0R
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
150242Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.