Carcinogenic and health risk assessment of respiratory exposure to Acrylonitrile, 1,3-Butadiene and Styrene (ABS) in a Petrochemical Industry Using the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method

This study aimed to carcinogenic and health risk assessment of respiratory exposure to acrylonitrile, 1,3-butadiene, and styrene in the petrochemical industry. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a petrochemical plant producing acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene (ABS) copolymers. Respiratory exposure with acrylonitrile, 1,3-butadiene and styrene was measured using methods No. 1604, 1024, and 1501 of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, respectively. The US Environmental Protection Agency method was used to assess carcinogenic and health risks. The average occupational exposure to acrylonitrile, 1,3-butadiene, and styrene was 560.82 μg. m for 1,3-butadiene, 122.8 μg. m for acrylonitrile and 1.92 μg. m for styrene. The average lifetime cancer risk (LCR) in the present study was 2.71 ×10 for 1,3-butadiene, 2.1 ×10 for acrylonitrile, and 6.6 for styrene. Also, the mean non-cancer risk (HQ) among all participants for 1,3-butadiene, acrylonitrile, and styrene was 4.04 ± 6.93, 10.82 ± 14.76, and 0.19 ± 0.11, respectively. The values of carcinogenic and health risks in the majority of the subjects were within the unacceptable risk levels due to exposure to 1,3-butadiene, acrylonitrile, and styrene vapors. Hence, corrective actions are required to protect the workers from non-cancer and cancer risks.