Odor impact patterns and health risks of various enterprises in the rubber product manufacturing industry

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials Vol. 487; p. 137269
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yan, Zhao, Yan, Hou, Li’an, Zhang, Zhiyang, Zou, Kehua, Wang, Gen, Lu, Zhiqiang, Cui, Huanwen, Meng, Jie, Wu, Ting, Wang, Jing, Zhai, Zengxiu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 05.04.2025
• Subjects: acetaldehyde; Air Pollutants - analysis; benzene; carcinogenicity; Environmental Monitoring; Health risk; Humans; industry; Manufacturing Industry; Odorants - analysis; odors; Residential heights; risk; Risk Assessment; Rubber; Rubber product manufacturing industry; Separation distance; volatile organic compounds; Volatile organic compounds (VOCs); Volatile Organic Compounds - analysis; wind; Separation distance; Residential heights; Rubber product manufacturing industry; Volatile organic compounds (VOCs); Health risk
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137269

The rubber product manufacturing (RPM) industry generates a large number of odor complaints because persistent and distinctive volatile compounds are released during the associated processes. Such compounds represent a nuisance and may pose health risks to nearby residents. Extensive monitoring and sampling identified 146 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from 20 enterprises across 6 subcategories of the RPM industry. Their odor impact patterns and health risks were assessed via dispersion modeling from both horizontal and vertical perspectives. Nine out of the 20 enterprises were found to cause odor impacts to the surrounding residents, with separation distances ranging from 0.3 to 3.5 km depending on the prevailing wind directions. The separation distances were more subject to odor concentrations than exhaust velocities. The odor impacts peaked at 40 to 60 m due to the horizontal and vertical dispersion as well as the height of exhaust ports. From a health risk perspective, none of the enterprises posed carcinogenic or noncarcinogenic risks to the surrounding areas based on the cumulative hazard quotient and carcinogenic risk values; however, acetaldehyde and benzene required further attention. This study provides important evidence for the management and control of VOCs in the RPM industry from both odor and health perspectives. [Display omitted] •VOCs from 20 enterprises for rubber product manufacturing were monitored and assessed.•All tire and recycled rubber manufacturing enterprises caused odor impacts.•Aldehydes with low thresholds were major odor contributors in rubber product industry.•Odor impacts peaked vertically at the height of 40–60 m due to vertical dispersion.•None of the enterprises posed carcinogenic or noncarcinogenic risks to surroundings.