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Lebel ED, Michanowicz DR, Bilsback KR, Hill LAL, Goldman JSW, Domen JK, Jaeger JM, Ruiz A, Shonkoff SBC. Composition, Emissions, and Air Quality Impacts of Hazardous Air Pollutants in Unburned Natural Gas from Residential Stoves in California. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:15828-15838. [PMID: 36263944 PMCID: PMC9671046 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c02581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The presence of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) entrained in end-use natural gas (NG) is an understudied source of human health risks. We performed trace gas analyses on 185 unburned NG samples collected from 159 unique residential NG stoves across seven geographic regions in California. Our analyses commonly detected 12 HAPs with significant variability across region and gas utility. Mean regional benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and total xylenes (BTEX) concentrations in end-use NG ranged from 1.6-25 ppmv─benzene alone was detected in 99% of samples, and mean concentrations ranged from 0.7-12 ppmv (max: 66 ppmv). By applying previously reported NG and methane emission rates throughout California's transmission, storage, and distribution systems, we estimated statewide benzene emissions of 4,200 (95% CI: 1,800-9,700) kg yr-1 that are currently not included in any statewide inventories─equal to the annual benzene emissions from nearly 60,000 light-duty gasoline vehicles. Additionally, we found that NG leakage from stoves and ovens while not in use can result in indoor benzene concentrations that can exceed the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment 8-h Reference Exposure Level of 0.94 ppbv─benzene concentrations comparable to environmental tobacco smoke. This study supports the need to further improve our understanding of leaked downstream NG as a source of health risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric D. Lebel
- PSE
Healthy Energy, 1440
Broadway, Suite 750, Oakland, California 94612, United States
| | - Drew R. Michanowicz
- PSE
Healthy Energy, 1440
Broadway, Suite 750, Oakland, California 94612, United States
- Harvard
T.H. Chan School of Public Health, C-CHANGE, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Kelsey R. Bilsback
- PSE
Healthy Energy, 1440
Broadway, Suite 750, Oakland, California 94612, United States
| | - Lee Ann L. Hill
- PSE
Healthy Energy, 1440
Broadway, Suite 750, Oakland, California 94612, United States
| | - Jackson S. W. Goldman
- PSE
Healthy Energy, 1440
Broadway, Suite 750, Oakland, California 94612, United States
| | - Jeremy K. Domen
- PSE
Healthy Energy, 1440
Broadway, Suite 750, Oakland, California 94612, United States
| | - Jessie M. Jaeger
- PSE
Healthy Energy, 1440
Broadway, Suite 750, Oakland, California 94612, United States
| | - Angélica Ruiz
- PSE
Healthy Energy, 1440
Broadway, Suite 750, Oakland, California 94612, United States
| | - Seth B. C. Shonkoff
- PSE
Healthy Energy, 1440
Broadway, Suite 750, Oakland, California 94612, United States
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Energy
Technologies Area, Lawrence Berkeley National
Lab, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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