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Major Sources of Exposure to Benzene and Other Volatile Organic Chemicals 1, 2
Author(s) -
Wallace Lance
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
risk analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.972
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1539-6924
pISSN - 0272-4332
DOI - 10.1111/j.1539-6924.1990.tb01020.x
Subject(s) - hazardous waste , tetrachloroethylene , environmental science , waste management , benzene , major stationary source , pollution , environmental health , volatile organic compound , air pollution , environmental chemistry , environmental engineering , engineering , chemistry , trichloroethylene , medicine , ecology , organic chemistry , biology
The major sources of human exposure to about a dozen volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) have recently been identified. 1 For nearly every chemical, the major sources of exposure are completely different from the major sources of emissions. This finding implies that current environmental regulations and control strategies are misdirected. Important sources of exposure are typically not regulated in any way, whereas unimportant sources are heavily regulated. Vast sums of money are spent on problems involving little risk (e.g., hazardous waste sites), whereas few resources are expended on problems involving higher risk (e.g., indoor air pollution). The following paper summarizes recent findings regarding major sources of exposure to several VOCs. Benzene is selected as a case study. Brief discussions of tetrachloroethylene and paradichlorobenzene are also included.