Exposure to volatile organic compounds in residences adjacent to dyeing industrial complex

Objectives. The present study was designed to evaluate residential exposure to selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) relative to the proximity of the Daegu dyeing industrial complex (DDIC). Methods. A series of surveys was conducted to measure the concentrations of five aromatic VOCs (toluene, benzene, m-xylene, p-xylene, and o-xylene) and methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) in the industrial outdoor air within the DDIC and in residential outdoor and indoor air based on the relative proximity of the DDIC. Results. The geometric mean (GM) toluene value for the outdoor air samples from residential area R1 located near the DDIC (255 mug/m(3)) was about seven-times higher than that from residential area R2 located further away from the DDIC (36.9 mug/m(3)), whereas no significant difference was found in the outdoor air concentrations of the other target compounds between the two residential areas. Moreover, the elevated outdoor toluene levels outweighed the indoor sources with respect to the environmental exposure of residents near the DDIC. However, for the other target VOCs there was no significant difference between the residential exposure of residents living close to and a certain distance away from the DDIC. Conclusions. The present study confirmed that residents in neighborhoods near the DDIC were exposed to elevated outdoor toluene levels compared with residents living further away from such a source. Furthermore, it appeared that the DDIC was a potential contributor to the nearby residential outdoor toluene levels.