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Exposure in a household using gasoline-contaminated water
J D Beavers1, J S Himmelstein, S K Hammond
1Occupational Health Program, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, USA.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Household exposure to gasoline in drinking water is common. Showering significantly contributes to inhaling harmful petroleum compounds, suggesting showering cessation is crucial for reducing benzene exposure.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Toxicology
- Public Health
Background:
- Drinking water contamination with petroleum products, such as gasoline, is a growing environmental health concern.
- Physicians frequently need to advise patients on managing exposures to these contaminants.
- Assessing household exposure routes is critical for accurate risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate household exposure to benzene and related aromatic hydrocarbons from gasoline-contaminated drinking water.
- To quantify inhalation and ingestion exposure doses via a defined sampling strategy.
- To determine the contribution of different exposure routes, including showering, to overall contaminant uptake.
Main Methods:
- A sampling strategy was developed to estimate inhalation and ingestion exposure to four key aromatic hydrocarbons in household water.
- Exposure was assessed in a New England household with gasoline-contaminated drinking water.
- Doses were estimated for both inhaled and ingested routes of exposure.
Main Results:
- Inhalation exposure doses were comparable to ingestion doses for all assessed aromatic hydrocarbons.
- Showering activities accounted for over half of the total inhaled dose and over half of the total dose from all exposure routes.
- Reducing water ingestion alone decreased benzene dose by less than one-third, while eliminating both ingestion and showering reduced it by over three-quarters.
Conclusions:
- Exposure to gasoline contaminants in household water occurs through multiple routes, not solely ingestion.
- Showering is a significant source of inhalation exposure to volatile organic compounds from contaminated water.
- Risk assessments and public health advisories should consider non-ingestion exposure pathways, particularly showering, for petroleum-contaminated water.