LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal; Department of Atmospheric Pollution, National Center for Environment Health, Institute of Health Carlos III, Ctra. Majadahonda - Pozuelo km 2, 28220, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal; ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal.
Environ Pollut. 2022 Dec 15;315:120423. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120423. Epub 2022 Oct 13.
In the present study, indoor and outdoor environments of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) were monitored by passive air samplers to assess the presence and seasonal trends of three linear (L3-L5) and four cyclic (D3-D6) volatile methylsiloxanes (VMSs). Furthermore, passive sampling rates (PSRs) were estimated from literature values to calculate VMSs air concentrations and occupational exposure to potentially toxic (D4-D6) congeners. Results showed a seasonal pattern of VMSs in outdoor locations (especially in the aeration tank and preliminary treatment), being the highest levels of total VMSs reached in Summer and the lowest in Spring, caused by the confluence of changing weather conditions and VMSs consumption patterns. This seasonality was not found in indoor sites. The congener profiles of VMSs were consistent throughout the year, showing a prevalence of D5 outdoors, and of D3 and D4 in strictly indoor environments. Different sources of VMSs, together with an air filtering system installed in the sampled buildings explain these differences. Estimated PSRs yielded lower values indoors (0.16-0.21 m/day) than outdoors (0.32-0.49 m/day), due to different wind speeds. Overall, outdoor locations showed higher VMSs concentrations in air than indoors. However, the values detected in both environments (∑VMSs between 8.00 and 2000 ng/m) were within the ranges described in the literature for these locations. The occupational exposure to D4-D6 estimated for three different activities in the WWTP showed the highest values for Maintenance Technicians (8010 ± 722 ng/(kg·year)) and the lowest for Laboratory Technicians (5410 ± 874 ng/(kg·year)), in direct correlation with the higher amount of time spent outdoors by the former. In any case, the exposure was below the inhalation threshold of 150 μg/(kg·day) proposed as safe by other authors.
在本研究中，通过被动空气采样器监测了一家污水处理厂（WWTP）的室内和室外环境，以评估三种线性（L3-L5）和四种环状（D3-D6）挥发性甲基硅氧烷（VMSs）的存在和季节性趋势。此外，还根据文献值估算了被动采样速率（PSR），以计算 VMSs 的空气浓度和职业接触潜在有毒（D4-D6）同系物的情况。结果表明，VMSs 在室外地点（尤其是在曝气池和预处理区）存在季节性模式，在夏季达到总 VMSs 的最高水平，而在春季达到最低水平，这是由于天气条件和 VMSs 消耗模式的变化所致。这种季节性变化在室内地点没有发现。VMSs 的同系物谱全年保持一致，显示出 D5 在户外占优势，而 D3 和 D4 在严格的室内环境中占优势。不同来源的 VMSs，以及安装在采样建筑物中的空气过滤系统，解释了这些差异。估算的 PSR 显示室内值（0.16-0.21 m/day）低于室外值（0.32-0.49 m/day），这是由于风速不同所致。总体而言，户外地点的空气中 VMSs 浓度高于室内。然而，在这两个环境中检测到的浓度（∑VMSs 介于 8.00 和 2000 ng/m 之间）均在这些地点的文献描述范围内。为 WWTP 中的三项不同活动估算的 D4-D6 职业接触显示，维护技术员的最高值（8010 ± 722 ng/（kg·年）），实验室技术员的最低值（5410 ± 874 ng/（kg·年）），这与前者在户外花费的时间更多直接相关。在任何情况下，暴露量都低于其他作者提出的安全吸入阈值 150 μg/（kg·天）。
