Journal of Health and Pollution最新文献

{"title":"Determination of Perflourooctanoic Acid Toxicity in a Human Hepatocarcinoma Cell Line.","authors":"Mahmoud Abudayyak,&nbsp;Ezgi Öztaş,&nbsp;Gül Özhan","doi":"10.5696/2156-9614-11.31.210909","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5696/2156-9614-11.31.210909","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is used in different industrial and commercial products. Research shows the presence of PFOA in home dusts, tap and surface water, and in biological samples. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified PFOA as a possible carcinogen for humans. The liver is thought to be a target organ of PFOA accumulation and toxicity.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>Some studies have found toxic effects on the liver and related mechanisms; however, more studies are needed to better understand PFOA - induced hepatotoxicity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In the present study, a human hepatocarcinoma cell line was exposed to PFOA for 24 hours and cell viability, apoptosis, the oxidative system and immune response were evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>While apoptosis was the main cell death pathway at low concentration (86.5%), the necrotic cell fraction increased with higher concentrations (46.7%). Significant changes in the reactive oxygen species (5.3-folds) glutathione (GSH) (1.7-folds) and catalase (CAT) (1.4-folds) levels were observed, as well as changes to interleukin-6 (≤1.8-fold) and interleukin-8 levels (35-40%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In light of the data, PFOA is potentially hepatotoxic through the investigated pathways. The results represent a background for future in vivo mechanistic studies.</p><p><strong>Competing interests: </strong>The authors declare no competing financial interests.</p>","PeriodicalId":52138,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health and Pollution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8383792/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39344186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Satellite Observation of Spatio-temporal Variations in Nitrogen Dioxide over West Africa and Implications for Regional Air Quality.","authors":"Ayodeji Oluleye","doi":"10.5696/2156-9614-11.31.210913","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5696/2156-9614-11.31.210913","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is known to affect human health, causing heart and cardiovascular diseases, and it has been shown that locations with long term NO₂ pollution recorded a high number of fatalities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are no ground stations monitoring emissions of NO₂ over West Africa. The present study aimed to use satellite observations to examine pollutant trends over this region.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To examine the trend of NO₂ over the entire West Africa sub region in relationship to contributions to environmental emissions using satellite-derived data. This enables the assessment of West Africa regional air pollution hot spots in relationship to enhancing atmospheric factors. The results from this study will also be useful guidance for setting air quality standards for air pollution controls to minimize health hazards.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The present study examined thirteen years of average monthly values of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) to determine the spatio-temporal variation of this pollutant over West Africa. Satellite data for NO₂ between 2005 and 2017 were used to determine the variation in pollution levels over West Africa. Correlations between NO₂ and meteorological variables (wind speed, rainfall and air temperature) were obtained to explain the influence of West African weather on the region's pollution accumulation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The present study observed that NO₂ concentrations varied from place to place and from season to season. Nitrogen dioxide concentrations during the dry season were higher (sometimes 200% higher) than values observed in the wet season which ranged between 0.5 and 6×10¹⁵ molec/cm². Nitrogen dioxide north-south oscillation during the course of a year is largely controlled by the inter-tropical discontinuity (ITD) zone as high concentrations of NO₂ are found in the vicinity of the ITD where wind speeds and horizontal vorticity approaches zero. Correlation analysis between NO₂ and some atmospheric variables indicated NO₂ concentrations are well influenced by atmospheric variables showing bipolar signals depending on the season. An increasing trend of NO₂ was also found over selected cities of the region. This indicated that regional air quality is gradually deteriorating.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The implications of worsening regional air quality were examined in the light of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. The dominant atmospheric factor determining pollution episodes in the region is the inter-tropical discontinuity line which marks the meeting point between the two wind regimes over the region. Densely populated areas are characteristically prone to elevated pollution and have experienced high fatalities during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Compet","PeriodicalId":52138,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health and Pollution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8383800/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39344190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Critical Review of Lead Pollution in Bangladesh.","authors":"Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder,&nbsp;Abdullah Al Nayeem,&nbsp;Mahmuda Islam,&nbsp;Mohammed Mahadi Akter,&nbsp;William S Carter","doi":"10.5696/2156-9614-11.31.210902","DOIUrl":"10.5696/2156-9614-11.31.210902","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Lead (Pb) poses a severe threat to human health and the environment. Worldwide Pb production and consumption have significantly increased along with unplanned industrialization and urbanization, lead smelting, and lead-acid battery processing. The improper management of Pb-containing elements is responsible for Pb pollution. Lead's persistence in nature and bioaccumulation in the food chain can lead to adverse health impacts.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The present study aims to describe Pb contaminated sites in Bangladesh and Pb concentration in the atmosphere, water, sediments, soil, vegetables, fish, and other foods in Bangladesh.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The present study searched a total of 128 peer-reviewed articles based on a predefined set of criteria (keywords, peer-reviewed journals, and indexing in Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, Springer, PubMed, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and Bangladesh Journals Online (BanglaJOL) and exclusion criteria (predatory journal and absence of full text in English) and finally selected 63 articles (58 research articles and five (5) reports). The relevant findings on Pb exposure, sources, routes, diet, and impacts in Bangladesh were combined and presented.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The reviewed studies identified 175 Pb contaminated sites through soil sample assessment in Bangladesh. The study determined Pb concentrations in air (0.09-376.58 μg/m³, mean 21.31 μg/m³), river water (0.0009-18.7 mg/l, mean 1.07 mg/l), river sediments (4.9-69.75 mg/kg, mean 32.08 mg/kg), fish (0.018-30.8 mg/kg, mean 5.01 mg/kg), soil (7.3-445 mg/kg, mean 90.34 mg/kg), vegetables (0.2-22.09 mg/kg, mean 4.33 mg/kg) and diet items (0.001-413.9 mg/kg, mean 43.22 mg/kg) of which 38.8%, 27.8%, 54.5%, 68.8%, 9.7% and 100% of samples, respectively, exceeded related World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Bangladesh Standard Testing Institution (BSTI) guidelines. The present study found that industrial soils are severely polluted with Pb (7.3-445 mg/kg) in Bangladesh. A high Pb concentration has been found in fish muscle and foods, including leafy and non-leafy vegetables collected from different places in Bangladesh.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Lead-contaminated foods can enter the human body through dietary intake and consequently lead to long-term adverse health effects. This study may help policymakers to formulate national policies with effective mitigation plans to combat the adverse health impacts of Pb in Bangladesh.</p><p><strong>Competing interests: </strong>The authors declare no competing financial interests.</p>","PeriodicalId":52138,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health and Pollution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8383795/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39344265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Documenting Environmental Contamination in Vulnerable Populations.","authors":"Sandra Page-Cook","doi":"10.5696/2156-9614-11.31.210901","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5696/2156-9614-11.31.210901","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":52138,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health and Pollution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8383790/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39344264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preserving Children's Future: Abstracts Conference proceedings.","authors":"","doi":"10.5696/2156-9614-11.31.S1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5696/2156-9614-11.31.S1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":52138,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health and Pollution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8383787/pdf/i2156-9614-11-31-S1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39683946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human Health Assessment of Sixteen Priority Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Contaminated Soils of Northwestern Algeria.","authors":"Ahmed Halfadji,&nbsp;Mohamed Naous,&nbsp;Farida Bettiche,&nbsp;Abdelkrim Touabet","doi":"10.5696/2156-9614-11.31.210914","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5696/2156-9614-11.31.210914","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental organic contaminants generated by incomplete combustion of organic materials that are widely distributed in soils.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study represents the first attempt to examine the health toxicity of 16 detected PAHs in contaminated soil, via different exposure pathways to populations in northwestern Algeria.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The toxicity equivalency quotients (TEQ) of PAHs were evaluated. The carcinogenic risk assessment of incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) from ingestion, inhalation, and dermal exposure pathways to each PAH in soil are described.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Incremental lifetime cancer risk values were in the upper limit of the tolerable range (10^-6-10^-4) for adults and children. The total cancer risk of PAH-contaminated soils for children, adolescents and adults was 2.48×10^-5, 2.04×10^-5 and 3.12×10^-5mg.kg^-1d^-1, respectively. The highest potential cancer risks were identified for adults and children, with adolescents having the lowest risks. Across exposure pathways, the dermal contact and ingestion pathways had the greatest contributions to the carcinogenic risk of human exposure to PAHs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Further research and guidelines are needed for risk assessments of PAHs in agricultural, residential/urban, and industrial areas, and further risk assessments should include risks posed by exposure through air.</p><p><strong>Competing interests: </strong>The authors declare no competing financial interests.</p>","PeriodicalId":52138,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health and Pollution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8383786/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39346692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determination of Heavy Metals in Groundwater Around Al-Buraihi Sewage Station in Taiz City, Yemen.","authors":"Raya Qaid Alansi,&nbsp;Abdelhafeez M A Mohammed,&nbsp;Mahmoud M Ali,&nbsp;Wadie Ahmed Mokbel Ghalib,&nbsp;Sajan Chimmikuttanda Ponnappa","doi":"10.5696/2156-9614-11.30.210604","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5696/2156-9614-11.30.210604","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In recent years, mitigation of groundwater contamination resulting from the limited availability of freshwater for domestic use has become an important issue. The presence of heavy metals in water could have adverse effects on both plant and animal life.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The main objective of the present study was to determine possible heavy metal contamination in groundwater around Al-Buraihi sewage station in Taiz, Yemen and to understand possible sources of contamination and their relationships with groundwater.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Wastewater samples were collected from a wastewater stabilization pond from Al-Buraihi sewage station and borewell water samples were collected from the vicinity. The presence of heavy metals was quantified using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Pearson correlation test was performed to understand the relationship between wastewater and groundwater samples.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Physical variables including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO) and temperature and elements such as silver (Ag), arsenic (As), aluminum (Al), barium (Ba), boron (B), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), molybdenum, nickel (Ni), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) exceeded the permissible limits recommended by international standards in wastewater samples.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Treated sewage wastewater in the study area is not suitable for irrigation as the elements/heavy metals are accumulated in soil and plants and may be accumulated in humans and animals through bio-accumulation. In addition, these heavy metals reach the water table and aquifers through percolation, thereby polluting groundwater.</p><p><strong>Competing interests: </strong>The authors declare no competing financial interests.</p>","PeriodicalId":52138,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health and Pollution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8276725/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39189847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sources and Level of Rare Earth Element Contamination of Atmospheric Dust in Nigeria.","authors":"Tesleem O Kolawole,&nbsp;Omowunmi S Olatunji,&nbsp;Olumuyiwa M Ajibade,&nbsp;Charles A Oyelami","doi":"10.5696/2156-9614-11.30.210611","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5696/2156-9614-11.30.210611","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rare earth element (REE) composition of atmospheric dust has recently been used to trace potential sources of dust pollution.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The present study aimed to determine the sources of atmospheric pollution in the study area using REE patterns and determine their level of pollution.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twenty-five (25) atmospheric dust samples were collected in the study area, with five samples each from an industrial area, traffic area, dumpsite area, residential area and remote area in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria. In addition, five (5) topsoil and two (2) rock samples (granite gneiss) were collected for comparison. Concentrations of REE were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The ratio of lanthanum/cerium (La/Ce), especially in some locations in industrial area (1.5), traffic area (1.5) and to some extent dumpsite area (1.1) was higher than in soil (0.2), upper continental crust (0.5) and the minimum value of fluid catalytic crackers (1.0). Generally, the respective average values of the ratios of La/praseodymium (Pr), La/neodymium (Nd) and La/samarium (Sm) in industrial area (32.1, 7.8 and 52.6) and traffic area (14.9, 4.4 and 26.8) were higher than their respective averages in soil (4.4, 1.1 and 6.2), rock (5.7, 1.9 and 14.1), upper continental crust (4.4, 1.1 and 6.6) and the minimum value in fluid catalytic crackers (5.8, 3.7 and 37.0). Meanwhile, their corresponding value in the dumpsite area, residential area and remote area were lower or similar to the geological background levels.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The contamination factors of REEs in the atmospheric dust of the industrial area and traffic area were classified as heavily contaminated, especially with light lanthanoid elements in REE. The degree of contamination of REEs in the atmospheric dust of industrial area (30.9) and traffic area (18.8) fell within the considerable contamination category. The high values of the light lanthanoid ratio and the contamination indices were attributed to their emission from the fired-power plant and vehicular exhaust.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Most of the composition of the atmospheric dust was sourced from the local geology of the study area as observed in the residential area and remote area, while the contamination in the industrial area and traffic area was attributed to human activities.</p><p><strong>Competing interests: </strong>The authors declare no competing financial interests.</p>","PeriodicalId":52138,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health and Pollution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8276721/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39188747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Community Health Risk Assessment of Total Suspended Particulates near a Cement Plant in Maros Regency, Indonesia.","authors":"Annisa Utami Rauf,&nbsp;Anwar Mallongi,&nbsp;Anwar Daud,&nbsp;Muhammad Hatta,&nbsp;Wesam Al-Madhoun,&nbsp;Ridwan Amiruddin,&nbsp;Stang Abdul Rahman,&nbsp;Atjo Wahyu,&nbsp;Ratna Dwi Puji Astuti","doi":"10.5696/2156-9614-11.30.210616","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5696/2156-9614-11.30.210616","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cement plants generate particulate matter (PM) across processes from raw material preparation to packaging. The presence of total suspended particulates (TSP) coming out of the stack causes a high accumulation of dust in residential areas. Human exposure to TSP could affect human health and wellbeing.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The present study aims to evaluate concentrations of TSP and to estimate the health risks of TSP exposure through the inhalation pathway in communities surrounding a private cement industry in Maros regency, Indonesia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Total suspended particulates were collected using a high-volume air sampler (HVAS) at five locations. Samples were taken by grab sampling for 24 hours. The SCREEN3 program was used to view the maximum range and distribution of pollutants based on the geographical, stack profiles and meteorological factors in the study area. Hazard quotient (HQ) was used to estimate non-carcinogenic risks of TSP in surrounding communities.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Total suspended particulate concentrations were measured with a maximum value of 133.24 μg/m³ and a minimum value of 18.48 μg/m³. This maximum value exceeds the minimum acceptable level from Canadian National Ambient Air Quality Objectives (C-NAAQOs). The non-carcinogenic risks from the inhalation pathway were low except for location 3 (HQ>1) across all locations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The cement plant may significantly contribute to total TSP concentrations in air and may potentially have adverse effects on human health. Communities near the cement plant are vulnerable to TSP exposure and measures are needed to reduce TSP in Maros regency, Indonesia.</p><p><strong>Participant consent: </strong>Obtained.</p><p><strong>Ethics approval: </strong>This study was approved by the Health Research Ethics Committee of Hasanuddin University with protocol number 28920093022.</p><p><strong>Competing interests: </strong>The authors declare no competing financial interests.</p>","PeriodicalId":52138,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health and Pollution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8276719/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39188709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Simulating Pollutant Dispersion from Accidental Fires with a Focus on Source Characterization.","authors":"Marzio Invernizzi,&nbsp;Francesca Tagliaferri,&nbsp;Selena Sironi,&nbsp;Gianni Tinarelli,&nbsp;Laura Capelli","doi":"10.5696/2156-9614-11.30.210612","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5696/2156-9614-11.30.210612","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Storage tanks in oil and gas processing facilities contain large volumes of flammable compounds. Once the fuel-air mixture is ignited, it may break out into a large fire or explosion. The growing interest in monitoring air quality and assessing health risks makes the evaluation of the consequences of a fire an important issue. Atmospheric dispersion models, which allow for simulation of the spatial distribution of pollutants, represent an increasingly widespread tool for this type of evaluations.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The present study discusses the set up and results of a modeling study relevant to a hypothesized fire in an oil refinery.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>After choosing the most suitable dispersion models, i.e. the Lagrangian model SPRAY and the puff model CALPUFF, estimation of the required input data is discussed, focusing on the source variables, which represent the most uncertain input data. The results of the simulations were compared to regulatory limits to effectively evaluate the environmental consequences. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was employed to identify the most influential variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The simulation results revealed that ground concentration values were far below the cited long-term limits. However, the most interesting outcome is that depending on the dispersion model and the source type modeled, different results may be obtained. In addition, the sensitivity study indicates that the source area is the most critical variable, since it determines a significantly different behavior depending on the modeled source types, producing, in some cases, variability in the pollutant ground concentrations on selected receptors up to +/- 60%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Depending on the selected model and the algorithms available to describe the physics of emission, the results showed a different sensitivity to the input variables. Although this can be explained from a mathematical point of view, the problem remains of choosing case by case the option that best approximates the real behavior of the incidental source under investigation.</p><p><strong>Competing interests: </strong>The authors declare no competing financial interests.</p>","PeriodicalId":52138,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Health and Pollution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8276722/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39188748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}