Health Risk Assessment of the Levels of BTEX in Ambient Air of One Urban Site Located in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico during Two Climatic Seasons
Julia Griselda Cerón Bretón,
Rosa María Cerón Bretón,
Stephanie Martínez Morales,
Jonathan D. W. Kahl,
Claudio Guarnaccia,
Reyna del Carmen Lara Severino,
Marcela Rangel Marrón,
Evangelina Ramírez Lara,
María de la Luz Espinosa Fuentes,
Martha Patricia Uc Chi,
Gerardo Licona Sánchez
Affiliations
Julia Griselda Cerón Bretón
Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Carmen, Calle 56 Num. 4 Esq. Ave. Concordia, Col. Benito Juárez, Ciudad del Carmen C.P. 24180, Campeche, Mexico
Rosa María Cerón Bretón
Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Carmen, Calle 56 Num. 4 Esq. Ave. Concordia, Col. Benito Juárez, Ciudad del Carmen C.P. 24180, Campeche, Mexico
Stephanie Martínez Morales
Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Carmen, Calle 56 Num. 4 Esq. Ave. Concordia, Col. Benito Juárez, Ciudad del Carmen C.P. 24180, Campeche, Mexico
Jonathan D. W. Kahl
Department of Mathematical Sciences, Atmospheric Science Group, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
Claudio Guarnaccia
Civil Engineering Department, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
Reyna del Carmen Lara Severino
Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Carmen, Calle 56 Num. 4 Esq. Ave. Concordia, Col. Benito Juárez, Ciudad del Carmen C.P. 24180, Campeche, Mexico
Marcela Rangel Marrón
Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Carmen, Calle 56 Num. 4 Esq. Ave. Concordia, Col. Benito Juárez, Ciudad del Carmen C.P. 24180, Campeche, Mexico
Evangelina Ramírez Lara
Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Avenida Universidad s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza C.P. 66455, N.L., Mexico
María de la Luz Espinosa Fuentes
Laboratorio de Aerosoles Atmosféricos, Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Investigación Científica s/n, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, CDMX, Mexico
Martha Patricia Uc Chi
Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Carmen, Calle 56 Num. 4 Esq. Ave. Concordia, Col. Benito Juárez, Ciudad del Carmen C.P. 24180, Campeche, Mexico
Gerardo Licona Sánchez
Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Carmen, Calle 56 Num. 4 Esq. Ave. Concordia, Col. Benito Juárez, Ciudad del Carmen C.P. 24180, Campeche, Mexico
Levels of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and p-xylene) were determined in ambient air of an urban site located at the center of Mexico (Leon City in Guanajuato State) during two climatic seasons of 2018 (summer and autumn). Ethylbenzene (11.86 µg m−3) and toluene (11.85 µg m−3) showed the highest median concentrations during the study period. BTEX concentrations did not show a diurnal pattern but a seasonal trend was observed for benzene and toluene at a significant level of α = 0.05. Bi-variate and multivariate analysis showed significant positive correlations (at α = 0.05) among BTEX (excepting benzene), indicating common sources for toluene, ethylbenzene, and p-xylene and a different origin for benzene. A meteorological study was also conducted in order to determine the origin of air masses that could influence the BTEX concentrations in the study site. Finally, it was found that all BTEX species presented hazard quotient values (HQs) <1, indicating that there is no risk of non-cancer during the studied period. Lifetime cancer risk due to benzene exposure for the adult and child populations studied were estimated to be 7 in 1,000,000 and 1 in 100,000, respectively.
