Micro-Environmental Zones and Occupancy Factors in Jharia Coal-Field: Pah Health Exposure Assessment

J. S. Pandey
S. Pimparkar
P. Khanna

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DOI: 10.2190/QQ5W-1XPJ-UJLH-PJ3G

Abstract

An increasingly wide range of toxic chemicals are being continuously released into the environment. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) happen to be one of the most hazardous among them because of their carcinogenicity. They are mainly produced by combustion processes involving carbon-based substances such as fossil fuels and biomass, and have been reported to be present in significant concentrations in coal mining and coal processing areas. Responsiveness and susceptibilities to the pollutants, in general, has age-specific variability. A series of recent studies suggest that school children may be both sensitive and specifically reactive to air pollution health effects. Hence, the control of air pollution should be based on the most sensitive groups of persons. In line with pollutant/climate micro-environment concept, human exposures to PAH have been analyzed and estimated (in the present article) in terms of dose rates for residential and industrial micro-environmental zones in Jharia Region. The analysis is based on age-specific breathing rates, body weights, and occupancy factors for different zones.

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