Department of Safety, Health, and Environmental Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, 84 Gung-Juan Road, Taishan, Taipei County, Taiwan.
J Hazard Mater. 2010 Oct 15;182(1-3):778-86. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.06.102. Epub 2010 Jun 30.
The purpose of this study was to explore the applicability of two popular multimedia risk assessment models to three different soil and groundwater contamination sites in Taiwan. The Multimedia Environmental Pollutant Assessment System (MEPAS) and the Multimedia Contaminant Fate, Transport, and Exposure Model (MMSOILS) were selected because of their wide application and use. Three soil and groundwater contamination sites in Taiwan were employed as illustrative examples in the comparison of these two risk assessment models. Three exposure pathways were investigated, categorized as oral ingestion, dermal absorption, and inhalation. The results show that MEPAS and MMSOILS calculated similar cancer risks and hazard quotients in general, but were different by two orders of magnitude in cancer risk estimates for sites contaminated by volatile organic compounds (VOC). Using MMSOILS may not be appropriate for risk assessment of such sites, as it does not account for indoor inhalation as a potential exposure pathway in its risk calculations. Water ingestion, dermal absorption when showering and indoor inhalation were the three most predominant contributing exposure pathways for risk development among sites contaminated by VOCs. On the other hand, crop and meat ingestion were more important exposure pathways in the context of sites with non-VOC pollutants, because these hydrophobic contaminants may be bio-accumulative in plants and animals, and consequently enter the human body via food chains.
本研究旨在探讨两种广受欢迎的多媒体风险评估模型在台湾三个不同土壤和地下水污染场地的适用性。选择多媒体环境污染物评估系统（MEPAS）和多媒体污染物归宿、传输和暴露模型（MMSOILS）是因为它们的广泛应用和使用。台湾的三个土壤和地下水污染场地被选为这两个风险评估模型的比较示例。研究了三种暴露途径，分为口服摄入、皮肤吸收和吸入。结果表明，MEPAS 和 MMSOILS 通常计算出相似的癌症风险和危害指数，但对于挥发性有机化合物（VOC）污染场地的癌症风险估计值相差两个数量级。对于挥发性有机化合物污染的场地，使用 MMSOILS 进行风险评估可能并不合适，因为它在风险计算中未考虑室内吸入作为潜在暴露途径。在 VOC 污染场地中，水摄入、淋浴时皮肤吸收和室内吸入是风险形成的三个最主要的暴露途径。另一方面，在非 VOC 污染物污染场地中，作物和肉类摄入是更重要的暴露途径，因为这些疏水性污染物可能在植物和动物中生物累积，并通过食物链进入人体。
