Dust generated from vehicular traffic on unpaved roads generates over half of the fugitive annual airborne particulate matter (PM10) emissions in the United States. Oil and gas produced water (O&GPW) are used as dust suppressants on unpaved roads. In Pennsylvania, the concentration of Pb in O&GPW has been measured up to 40-times the drinking water standard. Here we conduct a human health risk assessment of chronic occupational inhalation exposure to Al, As, B, Ba, Cd, CO, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr and Zn in PM10 dusts. The PM10 fraction from two township roads (one treated with O&GPW and one without), two untreated forest roads, and an untreated road composite (raw stockpiled), was digested and analyzed via ICP-MS for trace element concentrations. Inhalation risk assessment assumed chronic exposure among adult rural construction workers without personal protective equipment (PPE). Road PM10 concentrations were based on observed median PM10 reported values for US unpaved roads at ~1.5 m height. Reference concentrations were based on ATSDR Minimum Risk Level (MRLs), National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) or OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits. The untreated road composite PM10 dust had higher concentrations of Al, As, Co, Fe, Li, Mn, Pb, and Zn, when compared with the untreated township road, and higher Fe, Ni and Pb when compared with the O&GPW-treated township road (all p&lt;0.05). One forest road, untreated road composite, and the O&GPW-treated township road had estimated ambient Pb concentrations in excess of the NAAQS Pb standard. Hazard quotients were elevated for untreated road composite (Al, Mn, Co, Ni, As and Pb), untreated township road (Al, Mn, Co, Ni, Ba) and O&GPW-treated township road (Al, Mn, Co, Ni, As and Pb). Cancer risks for As PM10 inhalation were in excess of the regulatory range for all road materials (CRinh range: 1.47E+00 to 7.29 E+01). Arsenic is an established bladder, lung and skin carcinogen. Construction workers without PPE on both O&GPW-treated as well as untreated roads may be at excess cancer risk due to inhalation. Our results suggest that this excess risk would persist even for roads with 100-fold lower PM10 concentrations.

Risk assessment considerations for unpaved road PM10 among construction workers: Does dust suppressant treatment with oil and gas wastewater matter?

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.