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this study investigates the health risks and cytotoxicity associated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from non-incineration devices used in hospital waste management. The research focuses on the levels of BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) across four hospitals in Tehran, Iran, during the period from October 2022 to March 2023. BTEX concentrations were measured using Gas Chromatography (GC), and cytotoxicity was evaluated through the MTT assay on A549 cells.Results revealed that toluene was the most abundant BTEX compound, with concentrations ranging from 69.30 to 136.68 µg/m 2 , followed by m- and p-xylene. Benzene concentrations were notably lower, ranging from 7.32 to 34.80 µg/m 2 . Hazard quotient (HQ) assessments indicated a lower health risk in hospitals A and D, while hospitals B and C showed HQ values exceeding one, signifying higher potential risks. The study also demonstrated significant cytotoxicity across all hospital waste treatment devices, with the highest cytotoxicity observed in samples from autoclaves equipped with shredders, likely due to the presence of pharmaceutical waste.The findings highlight the necessity for stringent monitoring and regulation of VOC emissions from non-incineration devices to mitigate potential health risks, emphasizing the importance of effective waste management practices in healthcare facilities. This study contributes valuable insights for developing new policies and strategies to reduce the negative environmental and health impacts of hospital waste management.

The aim of this study is to investigate the concentration of Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene (BTEX) compounds in the indoor air of residential-commercial complexes and to compare it with other residential buildings (control) as well as to assess the carcinogenicity and non-carcinogenicity risk of these pollutants. BTEX concentration was investigated in the indoor air of 30 ground floor restaurants, 30 upper residential units of the complexes, 20 adjacent residential units (control), and their corridors. The mean BTEX concentration measured in the upper residential units was reported higher than in the control residential units, though they were not significantly different. The lifetime cancer risk (LTCR) value calculated for benzene in the upper residential units was lower than 10−4 and higher than 10−6 across all ages, indicating a carcinogenicity risk. Furthermore, the mean hazard quotient (HQ) for all compounds was obtained lower than 1, suggesting no concern about the non-carcinogenicity risk of these compounds in the studied region. Nevertheless, considering the sources of benzene production in the indoor air as well as the carcinogenicity of these pollutants and the risk they pose in human health, application towards the reduction of the sources and concentration of benzene in the indoor air are necessary.

Environmental pollutants, particularly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are associated with various diseases, including atopic dermatitis (AD). However, despite numerous studies on AD, there is a lack of research on the impact of various environmental exposures on mothers and infants. This study, therefore, investigated the effects of maternal exposure to specific VOCs (toluene, xylene, and benzene) on the expression of AD-related genes in mothers and their infants. RNA expression levels and DNA methylation patterns were analyzed to examine the correlation between environmental exposures and AD. A multi-omics approach integrating gene expression and methylation data was additionally employed to gain a broader understanding of the genetic impact of VOC exposure. Network analysis revealed significant changes in gene expression associated with AD. For example, maternal exposure to toluene resulted in the upregulation of AQP10, which is linked to keratinocyte dysfunction, and in infants, the genes IL31RA and CCL20 were notably affected, both of which play critical roles in immune response and skin barrier function. In mothers exposed to xylene, the histamine receptor gene HRH1 was identified as a key player in influencing AD through its role in skin barrier recovery, while infants exhibited consistent network responses with upregulation of IL31RA and downregulation of TIGIT, reflecting a shared response across different xylene isomers. Interestingly, infants exposed to xylene isomers displayed nearly identical gene network patterns, suggesting developmental resistance to diverse environmental factors. No significant gene changes were identified in the benzene-exposed group. These findings suggest that exposure to specific VOCs may have different effects on gene expression related to AD, highlighting the complexity of how environmental factors contribute to disease development.

African American women in the United States have a high risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. DNA methylation is a potential mechanism by which exposure to BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) may cause adverse pregnancy outcomes. Data are from the Maternal Stress Study, which recruited African American women in the second trimester of pregnancy from February 2009 to June 2010. DNA methylation was measured in archived DNA from venous blood collected in the second trimester. Trimester-specific exposure to airshed BTEX was estimated using maternal self-reported addresses and geospatial models of ambient air pollution developed as part of the Geospatial Determinants of Health Outcomes Consortium. Among the 64 women with exposure and outcome data available, 46 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were associated with BTEX exposure (FDR adjusted p-value < 0.05) using a DMR-based epigenome-wide association study approach. Overall, 89% of DMRs consistently exhibited hypomethylation with increasing BTEX exposure. Biological pathway analysis identified 11 enriched pathways, with the top 3 involving gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor signaling, oxytocin in brain signaling, and the gustation pathway. These findings highlight the potential impact of BTEX on DNA methylation in pregnant women.

Background: Children in the affected area were exposed to large amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the Hebei Spirit oil spill accident. Objectives: We investigated the lung function loss from the exposure to VOCs in a longitudinal panel of 224 children 1, 3, and 5 years after the VOC exposure event. Methods: Atmospheric estimated concentration of total VOCs (TVOCs), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene for 4 days immediately after the accident were calculated for each village (n = 83) using a modeling technique. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) as an indicator of airway status was measured 1, 3, and 5 years after the exposure in 224 children 4~9 years of age at the exposure to the oil spill. Multiple linear regression and linear mixed models were used to evaluate the associations, with adjustment for smoking and second-hand smoke at home. Results: Among the TVOCs (geometric mean: 1319.5 mg/m3·4 d), xylene (9.4), toluene (8.5), ethylbenzene (5.2), and benzene (2.0) were dominant in the order of air concentration level. In 224 children, percent predicted FEV1 (ppFEV1), adjusted for smoking and second-hand smoke at home, was 100.7% after 1 year, 96.2% after 3 years, and 94.6% after 5 years, and the loss over the period was significant (p < 0.0001). After 1 and 3 years, TVOCs, xylene, toluene, and ethylbenzene were significantly associated with ppFEV1. After 5 years, the associations were not significant. Throughout the 5 years’ repeated measurements in the panel, TVOCs, xylene, toluene, and ethylbenzene were significantly associated with ppFEV1. Conclusions: Exposure to VOCs from the oil spill resulted in lung function loss among children, which remained significant up to 5 years after the exposure.

Environmental exposures to volatile organic compound (VOC) mixtures have received increasing attention, yet the risks are under studied. This study aimed to explore the risks of combined exposures to several commonly detected VOCs and to draw attention to the necessity of studying long-term and low-concentration environmental exposure patterns. In this study, we examined the effects of long-term and low-concentration exposures to VOCs like 1,2-dichlorobenzene, benzene, toluene and formaldehyde either alone or in combination on D. melanogaster mortality. A quantitative relationship was established between 1,2-dichlorobenzene concentration and mortality. Additionally, 1,2-dichlorobenzene was more toxic than toluene, and males were more sensitive to 1,2-dichlorobenzene. In cocktail, 1,2-dichlorobenzene + benzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene acted as an antagonist and interaction type may depend on component concentration. Antagonistic interaction was also found in twice mixture of toluene + benzene + formaldehyde and the degree of antagonism decreased with increasing concentrations of formaldehyde + benzene. The observed interactions and variations in their type or degree relative to mixture component concentrations may be attributed to inter-component metabolic interference and metabolic saturation.

To investigate the mediating effect of oxidative stress on the relationships between low-concentration benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) exposure and blood pressure in workers. A cross-sectional study involving 841 workers from a petroleum refining enterprise in Hainan, China, was conducted. Among the workers, 615 workers were exposed to low-concentration BTX, and 216 workers were in the control group. S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA), hippuric acid (HA), and methyl hippuric acid (MHA, including the three isomers 2-MHA, 3-MHA, and 4-MHA) were measured in the urine of workers via high-performance liquid chromatography‒tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry to assess the internal BTX burden. Oxidative stress markers, blood pressure, and their correlations were analysed in both the exposed and control groups of workers. Mediation analysis was used to investigate the potential role of oxidative stress in the relationship between BTX exposure and blood pressure. The concentrations of BTX at the sampling points in the enterprise were all below the limits stipulated in China’s national occupational health criteria: occupational exposure limits for hazardous agents. With respect to the internal burden of BTX, the concentrations of the benzene metabolite S-PMA, the toluene metabolite HA, and the xylene metabolites 3-MHA and 4-MHA in the urine samples in the exposure group were greater than those in the control group ( P  < 0.05). The correlation analysis results revealed that the concentration of the benzene metabolite S-PMA in workers’ urine was positively correlated with diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ( r  = 0.265, P  < 0.05). Compared with those in the control group, DBP was greater ( β  = 1.363, 95% CI 0.088 –2.639), serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was lower ( β = − 0.037, 95% CI − 0.060 to − 0.013), and the serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was greater ( β  = 0.066, 95% CI 0.022–0.110) in the exposure group. Partial correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between DBP and MDA ( r s = 0.115, P  < 0.01). The results of the mediation analysis indicated that MDA was a complete mediator between low BTX exposure and DBP ( P  < 0.05). Occupational exposure to low concentrations of BTX elevates blood pressure and oxidative stress among workers. A positive correlation between DBP and MDA was observed, with MDA acting as a complete mediator between low-concentration BTX exposure and DBP elevation.

Rationale Adolescent inhalant use is an understudied and undertreated disorder, particularly in females. Chronic exposure to inhalants, like toluene, can have long-lasting effects on behavior. However, most animal studies lack the incorporation of both sexes and do not focus on the abstinence period. Objective We assessed the behavioral effects during prolonged abstinence following repeated toluene inhalation in adolescent male and female rats. Methods We repeatedly exposed adolescent male and female Sprague Dawley rats to toluene vapor (1500 or 3000 ppm) for 6 days using the conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure. We tested drug-associated context preference, locomotion, anxiety-like behavior, object memory, social preference, and cognitive flexibility across 22 days of abstinence. Results In females, 3000 ppm toluene increased CPP on days 8 and 22 of abstinence but this effect did not reach significance in males. Instead, males showed a significant increase in locomotion on days 7 and 21. Toluene also impaired social novelty preference and reversal learning during long-term abstinence, but not anxiety-like behavior or object recognition memory. Conclusions Our rodent findings suggest that female inhalant users may show persistent drug preference during abstinence following chronic use. Furthermore, prolonged cognitive and social deficits should be addressed in treatment programs for adolescents.

This study employed a quick, efficient, sensitive, and easy-to-use micro-extraction process to monitor biomarker hippuric acid (BIHA) in urine samples as a bioindicator of exposure to toluene with an HPLC-DAD instrument. The independent variables for the micro-extraction process of hippuric acid were examined, while the response from the HA monitoring acted as the dependent variable. Initial screening and parameter optimization were performed using the multivariate models. The desirability function aimed to maximize the extraction recovery of hippuric acid while minimizing solvent volume and extraction time. The best conditions identified were: 152 µL of extractant solvent, extraction time 253 s (4.2 min), a salt amount of 3.9%W/V, and pH = 2.7 with Desirability = 1. Achieving Desirability = 1 reflects a perfect compromise of all goals. The suggested model showed strong validation, evidenced by adjusted R² = 0.9888, high recovery rates, low error in confirmation runs (1.37–2.09%), and consistent predicted values. The model demonstrated satisfactory recovery rates, emphasizing its potential for analyzing urine samples as an indicator of toluene exposure. The detection limit was established at 0.15 ng mL −1 for hippuric acid, with a calibration curve linear of 1 to 900 ng mL −1 . Assessments of samples conducted with this model established its validity and resulted in adequate efficiency. The precision assessment of the technique (as %RSD) was found to be in the range of 2.11–4.25%.

Background: Previous studies have reported positive associations between maternal exposure to air pollutants and several adverse birth outcomes. However, there have been no studies assessing the association between environmental levels of hazardous air pollutants, such as benzene, and neural tube defects (NTDs), a common and serious group of congenital malformations. Objective: Our goal was to conduct a case-control study assessing the association between ambient air levels of benzene, toluene, ethyibenzene, and xylene (BTEX) and the prevalence of NTDs among offspring. Methods: The Texas Birth Defects Registry provided data on NTD cases (spina bifida and anencephaly) delivered between 1999 and 2004. The control group was a random sample of unaffected live births, frequency matched to cases on year of birth. Census tract—level estimates of annual BTEX levels were obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1999 Assessment System for Population Exposure Nationwide. Restricted cubic splines were used in mixed-effects logistic regression models to determine associations between each pollutant and NTD phenotype. Results: Mothers living in census tracts with the highest benzene levels were more likely to have offspring with spina bifida than were women living in census tracts with the lowest levels (odds ratio = 2.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-4.33). No significant associations were observed between anencephaly and benzene or between any of the NTD phenotypes and toluene, ethyibenzene, or xylene. Conclusion: In the first study to assess the relationship between environmental levels of BTEX and NTDs, we found an association between benzene and spina bifida. Our results contribute to the growing body of evidence regarding air pollutant exposure and adverse birth outcomes.