Abstract:

The aim of this study was to estimate the dose of nanoparticles delivered to the human respiratory system when aerosolized from seawater polluted by a crude oil slick (with and without dispersant). The seawater is subject to pilot-scale breaking waves. The seawater is contaminated with slicks of crude oil only or slicks of crude oil and dispersant (Corexit 9500A) mixture. The dispersant to oil ratio (DOR) is 1:25. All calculations presented in the dataset are related to one breathing cycle. Emission measurements were obtained from a horizontal breaking wave simulator for the slick thickness of 0.5 mm. A scanning mobility particle sizer, SMPS model 3938 (TSI Inc.), with an electrostatic classifier model 3082 and a condensation particle counter model 3787 was used to detect sub-micron particles. An impactor with an orifice diameter of 0.071 cm installed at the inlet of the classifier removes super-micron particles. This system measures particles with electrical mobility-driven diameters ranging from 10 to 400 nm. The dose estimation of the deposited PM in different regions of the human respiratory system was facilitated using the multiple path particle dosimetry model (MPPD Ver. 3.04), which is originally developed by Applied Research Associates Inc., Raleigh, NC, USA.

Suggested Citation:

Nima Afshar-Mohajer, Kirsten Koehler. 2018. Health risk assessment modeling of the oil spill emissions (due to airborne particulate matter). Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N7R20ZW5

Publications:

Afshar-Mohajer, N., Fox, M. A., & Koehler, K. (2019). The human health risk estimation of inhaled oil spill emissions with and without adding dispersant. Science of The Total Environment, 654, 924–932. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.110

Purpose:

A dosimetry model was used to estimate PM2.5 inhalation with and without having dispersant in the crude oil slick subjected to breaking waves.

Data Parameters and Units:

Input Data of the Mass Distribution.xlsx: Electrical mobility size (nm); The total number of counted particles corresponding to the mid-size range as that in the electrical mobility size column per cubic centimeter of the air volume (Number, #/cm^3); The diameter concentration in mm equivalent to the number of detected particles of a particle size range per cubic centimeter of the air volume (Normalized diameter, mm/cm^3); The surface concentration in squared nanometer equivalent to the number of detected particles of a particle size range per cubic centimeter of the air volume (Normalized surface, nm^2/cm^3); The volume concentration in cubed nanometer equivalent to the number of detected particles of a particle size range per cubic centimeter of the air volume (Normalized volume, nm^3/cm^3); The mass concentration in microgram equivalent to the number of detected particles of a particle size range per cubic centimeter of the air volume (Normalized mass, ug/m^3); The total mass of collected particles for each size bin in microgram (Total mass, ug); Mass Median Diameter is the aerodynamic diameter at which 50% of the particles by mass are larger and 50% of the particles are smaller than that size (MMD, nm); Cell "H3" should be NaN because the total mass for each size bin is calculated based on its difference from the previous size bin and since the first size bin is the smallest itself with no value from a preceding size bin, the total mass in that one cannot be estimated theoretically. Dosimetry report of the crude oil only.txt and Dosimetry report of the oil-dispersant mixture.txt: The number of branches (bifurcation) in the human respiratory tract (Gen. Num., unitless); The fraction of particles deposited per generation number (Dep. Frac.); The surface area of those particles deposited in squared centimeter (cm^2) per airway generation (Surf. Area, cm^2); The surface area of those particles deposited in the Trachea Bronchi part of the human respiratory system (TB S.A., cm^2); The surface area of those particles deposited in the pulmonary region of the human respiratory system (Pul S.A., cm^2); These files also contain all the multiple path particle dosimetry model input and output information.

Individual Files: