TITLE:
Assessment of Public Health Risks Associated with Naphthalene Entering Residences and Commercial Space from Vapor Intrusion at MGP Sites
AUTHORS:
Robin DeHate, Brian Skelly, Marie Bourgeois, Giffe Johnson, Raymond Harbison
KEYWORDS:
Soil Vapor Intrusion; Naphthalene; Volatile Organic Compounds; Risk Assessment; Manufactured Gas Plant
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.4 No.12A,
December
18,
2013
ABSTRACT: Naphthalene, a constituent of coal
tar, is a contaminant frequently found at former manufactured gas plants (MGP).
Development at these sites has resulted in residential and commercial areas
with potential exposures from vapor intrusion adversely affecting indoor air of
residences and buildings. Naphthalene is routinely analyzed in soil vapor intrusion
assessments for properties overlying and surrounding former MGP sites. The
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a proposed unit risk
factor and the State of California has promulgated a unit risk factor for naphthalene.
Naphthalene exposure from vapor intrusion is potentially a public health risk. The
purpose of this study was to evaluate three sites located in the northeast
United States to determine the frequency of naphthalene detection in indoor
air. A total of 79 properties were included in the study. A total of 546 indoor
air samples were analyzed for naphthalene on 161 occasions. Naphthalene
concentrations ranged from 0.26 to 51 μg/m3 of air. Only 3 of the 546 indoor air samples
detected naphthalene above the ninety-fifth percentile background value of 12 μg/m3 of
air. Risk analysis indicated naphthalene vapor intrusion was not a public
health risk among the 79 properties built on or near the former MGP sites.