Exposure to volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides and lung function in Mexican Preschoolers

Transformer manufacturing industry uses volatile organic compounds (VOCs) containing materials such as varnish which can cause adverse health effects to human. Exposure to a high level of VOCs could disrupt the normal functions of a human lung.Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the status of lung functions of the workers exposed to VOCs at a transformer manufacturing plant in Selangor. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) concentration in the office and production area was measured using direct-reading method and 60 subjects were selected to undergo the lung function test. The FVC and FEV1 values showed significant difference (p<0.05) between the exposed group and the non-exposed group. The mean readings of FVC (69.07±12.58) and FEV₁ (72.90±10.46) of the exposed groups were lower than the non-exposed group, which were 81.47±9.78 and 84.23±9.07, respectively. In contrast to the FEV1/FVC parameters, the non-exposed group (102.93 ± 7.17) showed lower mean values than the exposed group (105.90±8.98). Besides that, the nasal symptoms showed significant differences (p<0.05) between the exposed and non-exposed group. The demographic data of the exposed group showed no association with the lung function status of the exposed group workers. However, the lung functions of the exposed group were influenced by the concentration of VOCs in the production area. High concentration of VOCs may cause detrimental effects on the lung functions. Therefore, management or employers in the industry should always be aware of the effects of VOCs, and take appropriate steps to ensure the safety and welfare of the employees.

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Estimation of Carbon Monoxide, Sulfur Oxides, Nitrogen Oxides, Volatile Organic Compounds, and Particulate Matters Emission Due to Cryptocurrency Miners’ Activity in Iran

Earth ◽

10.3390/earth2030039 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 667-673

Author(s):

Amirreza Talaiekhozani ◽

Majid Lotfi Ghahroud ◽

Shahabaldin Rezania

Keyword(s):

Carbon Monoxide ◽

Volatile Organic Compounds ◽

Nitrogen Oxides ◽

Organic Compounds ◽

Power Plants ◽

Electricity Consumption ◽

Sulfur Oxides ◽

Sufficient Information ◽

Volatile Organic ◽

Environment Agency

Nowadays, electricity consumption has increased worldwide due to the activity of cryptocurrency miners. Much of Iran’s electricity is generated by fossil fuel power plants. So, generating more electricity means producing more air pollutants in Iran. There is not sufficient information about the effects of cryptocurrency mining on Iran’s air pollution. This study aims to estimate the amount of carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter (PM) emitted by Iran’s power plants when they generate extra electricity for cryptocurrency miners. In this study, we firstly estimated the amount of fuel used for the electricity needed for cryptocurrency miners. Then, the amounts of emitted NOx, CO, VOCs, SOx, and total PM for generation of such electricity were estimated via the guidelines of the European Environment Agency for emission inventory estimation. The results showed that an on average of 3530, 1547, 103, 11, and 35 tons of NOx, CO, VOCs, SOx, and total PM, respectively, have been emitted into the atmosphere in Iran annually.

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Current emission trends for nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds by month and state: Methodology and results

10.2172/10125175 ◽

1990 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

E.J. Kohout ◽

D.J. Miller ◽

L.A. Nieves ◽

D.S. Rothman ◽

C.L. Saricks ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Volatile Organic Compounds ◽

Sulfur Dioxide ◽

Nitrogen Oxides ◽

Organic Compounds ◽

Volatile Organic ◽

Current Emission

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Influence of the Thermal State of Vehicle Combustion Engines on the Results of the National Inventory of Pollutant Emissions

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11199084 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (19) ◽

pp. 9084

Author(s):

Katarzyna Bebkiewicz ◽

Zdzisław Chłopek ◽

Hubert Sar ◽

Krystian Szczepański ◽

Magdalena Zimakowska-Laskowska

Keyword(s):

Carbon Monoxide ◽

Volatile Organic Compounds ◽

Nitrogen Oxides ◽

Organic Compounds ◽

Thermal State ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Pollutant Emission ◽

Combustion Engines ◽

Warm Up ◽

Volatile Organic

The article presents the results of studies on the influence of the thermal state of vehicle combustion engines on pollutant emissions. This influence was analyzed based on data from Poland’s inventory of pollutant emissions for the years 1990–2017. The results show that during engine warm-up, carbon monoxide emission constitutes the largest share (up to 50%) in the national annual total emission. Volatile organic compounds are next in the ranking, whereas the share of nitrogen oxides is the lowest (less than 5%). Under the model traffic conditions, close to those in Poland’s cities in winter, simulation tests regarding additional pollutant emissions from passenger cars during engine warm-up were also carried out. As a result of the cold-start emissive behavior of internal combustion engines, emissions of carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds showed a considerably greater impact on national pollutant emission, as compared to carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. This is particularly evident for the results of the inventory of pollutant emissions from road transport.

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Measurement Report: Aircraft Observations of Ozone, Nitrogen Oxides, and Volatile Organic Compounds over Hebei Province, China

10.5194/acp-2020-194 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sarah E. Benish ◽

Hao He ◽

Xinrong Ren ◽

Sandra J. Roberts ◽

Ross J. Salawitch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Volatile Organic Compounds ◽

Nitrogen Oxides ◽

Organic Compounds ◽

Biomass Burning ◽

Hebei Province ◽

Model Calculations ◽

Mixing Ratios ◽

Chemistry Research ◽

Volatile Organic ◽

Low Efficiency

Abstract. To provide insight into the planetary boundary layer (PBL) production of ozone (O3) over the North China Plain, the Air chemistry Research in Asia (ARIAs) campaign conducted aircraft measurements of air pollutants over Hebei Province, China between May and June 2016. We evaluate vertical profiles of trace gas species including O3, nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and relate to rates of O3 production. This analysis shows measured O3 levels ranged from 52 to 142 ppbv, with the peak median concentration (~ 94 ppbv) occurring between 1000 and 1500 m. The NOx concentrations exhibited strong spatial and altitudinal variations, ranging from 0.15 to 49 ppbv. Ratios of CO / NOy and CO / CO2 indicate the prevalence of low efficiency combustion from biomass burning and residential coal burning. Concentrations of total measured VOCs from 26 whole air canisters reveals alkanes dominate the total measured volume mixing ratio of VOCs (68 %) and we see evidence of vehicular emissions, fuel and solvent evaporation, and biomass burning sources. Alkanes and alkenes/alkynes are responsible for 74 % of the total VOC reactivity assessed by calculating the OH loss rates, while aromatics contribute the most to the total Ozone Formation Potential (OFP) (43 %) with toluene, m/p-xylene, ethylene, propylene, and i-pentane playing significant roles in the aloft production of O3 in this region. In the PBL below 500 m, box model calculations constrained by measured precursors indicate the peak rate of mean O3 production was ~ 7 ppbv/hour. Pollution frequently extended above the PBL into the lower free troposphere around 3000 m, where NO2 mixing ratios (~ 400 pptv) led to net production rates of O3 up to ~ 3 ppbv/hour; this pollution can travel substantial distances downwind. The O3 sensitivity regime is determined to be NOx-limited throughout the PBL, while more VOC-limited at low altitudes near urban centres, demonstrating both VOCs and NOx need further control to reduce aloft O3 over Hebei.

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