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ASSESSING POTENTIAL EXPOSURES FROM ROUTINE USE OF VOC-CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER
Citation:
Highsmith, V., A.B. Lindstrom, AND T. Buckley. ASSESSING POTENTIAL EXPOSURES FROM ROUTINE USE OF VOC-CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/A-93/058 (NTIS PB93173060).
Description:
Three identical experiments were conducted in a single residence to assess potential exposures that may result from the routine household use of VOC-contaminated groundwater. Each experiment was based on a single 20-min shower using contaminated groundwater containing 185-367 ug/l benzene. Study objectives included assessing potential exposures that may occur throughout the residence from routine household use of contaminated groundwater; examining the relationships between short- versus long-term exposure measurement techniques; and testing a multidisciplinary protocol for total human exposure monitoring Integrated 20-, 60-, and 240-min indoor VOC samples were collected in the shower stall, bathroom, master bedroom, and living room using Tenax GC- and/or polished evacuated canisters. Grab syringe samples were collected over various times at each indoor sampling location Personal Tenax GC- samples and water samples were also collected Breath, blood, and urine samples were collected from the shower-exposed subject. Maximum benzene concentrations in the shower stall ranged from 758-1673 ug/m3. Benzene concentrations in the bathroom and adjacent master bedroom approached 500 ug/m3 and 125 ug/m3, respectively. Potential 4-h benzene inhalation doses, calculated using the 4-h integrated samples, were estimated to be nearly 125 ug in the bathroom, 100 ug in the bedroom, and 80 ug in the living room Personal doses estimated over the 6-h experiment for occupants of the bathroom and living room were < 135 ug benzene and < 80 g benzene, respectively. The 20-min shower resulted in an estimated total dose of 281 ug benzene (113 ug for inhalation and 168 ug for dermal). This inhaled dose compares well with the 6-h inhaled dose received by the bathroom technician. Summary microenvironmental and exposure assessment results of these experiments are presented herein.