Personal exposure to VOCs (BTX) and women health risk assessment in rural kitchen from solid biofuel burning during cooking in West Bengal, India

In this study, personal exposure to benzene, toluene and xylene as important VOC species of incomplete combustion are assessed, considering the ventilation condition of the rural kitchens throughout the seasons. Annual mean total BTX levels were 148.51, 76.98, 34.91 and 13.34 mu gm(-3) for the rural kitchens with openness of <25%, 25-50%, 50-75% and >75% respectively. Overall annual mean concentration of benzene, toluene and xylene level was found to be 52.35, 8.85 and 7.23 mu gm(-3) respectively. Annual mean total BTX was found across the openness of the kitchens to be 68.43 mu gm(-3). There was no significant interaction between the independent variables 'openness' and 'season' explaining pollution exposure variability. Openness of the kitchens was the only significant predictor for BTX exposure concentration variation. Average daily dose (ADD) analysis showed median value of 1.439 x 10(-3) mg/kg-day with 95% certainty range from 9.04 x 10(-4) mg/kg-day to 2.220 x 10(-3) mg/kg-day. Hazard index (HI) indicates no significant risk of non-carcinogenic effect from the exposure to benzene, toluene and xylene. In ADD and all non-cancerous risk estimates (HQ of benzene, toluene, xylene), exposure time emerges as the single most contributor whereas, annual average pollutant exposure is the second most risk contributor in all the cases. Lifetime cancer risk of benzene exceeded the acceptable level indicating probable cancer risk and inhalation unit risk alone contributes above 75%; exposure time came after with 163% contribution. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.