Outdoor, indoor and personal distribution of BTEX in pregnant women from two areas in Spain - Preliminary results from the INMA project

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are habitually found in both outdoor and indoor environments, may represent a significant health risk. In this context, pregnancy is a critical period since foetuses are more vulnerable than adults to exposure to toxic compounds. The objective of this study is to present the preliminary results of a series of measurements of outdoor (O), indoor (I) and personal exposure (P) to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene and m, p-xylene (BTEX) in 107 pregnant women from two areas in Spain, namely Valencia and Sabadell. BTEX samplers were installed for 48 hours both inside and outside of the women's homes, along with personal samplers. In addition, the test subjects filled out a questionnaire about the activities they carried out during the sampling period. BTEX levels were higher in Valencia than in Sabadell (median O, I and P benzene levels in Valencia were 1.40, 2.40 and 3.05 mu g/m(3), respectively, while in Sabadell they were 0.01, 0.32 and 1.02 mu g/m(3)). In both locations, an O