PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

 

e-ISSN 2231-8542
ISSN 1511-3701

Home / Regular Issue / JTAS Vol. 28 (3) Jul. 2020 / JST-1859-2019

 

Health Risk Assessment among Adult and Children on Potential Air Pollutants Released from the Petrochemical Plant in Malaysia: The Result of Air Modelling

Mohd Shahrol Abd Wahil, Wong Chin Mun, Abdullah Aliff Abdul Wahab and Hasni Ja’afar

Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, Volume 28, Issue 3, July 2020

Keywords: Air modeling, health risk assessment, oil refinery, petrochemical plants, pollutants

Published on: 16 July 2020

Malaysia is the world’s third largest exporter of liquified natural gas and the second largest oil and natural gas producer in Southeast Asia, following Indonesia. The potential air pollutants released from the industry may affect the health of the population. The primary objective of this study was to determine the potential health risk among the population in the zone of impact. This was a comparative case study between controlled and uncontrolled emissions based on the air dispersion modelling. Hazard quotient (HQ) was used to assess non-carcinogenic risk, while lifetime cancer risk (LCR) was used to assess carcinogenic risk. All ambient air pollutant levels were within permissible levels and adhered to the standard. The HQ for hydrogen sulphide and benzene was less than one in all scenarios. The LCR for benzene was acceptable in all scenarios. Advanced pollution prevention equipment should be installed within the gas emission system to treat the final emission to meet prescribed permissible limits. Continuous ambient air monitoring and effective control measures should be practiced to ensure the sustainability of clean air. The health risk assessment showed no risk of developing malignancy and non-cancer disorder among the workers and general population living surround the petrochemical plants. This allows the development of the petroleum refinery plants to be continued.

ISSN 1511-3701

e-ISSN 2231-8542

Article ID

JST-1859-2019

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