AAPPPPRROOAACCHHEESS TTOO AA TTOOTTAALL ((OORR GGRROOUUPPEEDD)) VVOOCC GGUUIIDDEELLIINNEE FFIINNAALL RREEPPOORRTT Approaches to a Total (or Grouped) VOC Guideline Final Report Prepared by: Jamie T. Ayers #102 17315-69th Ave. Edmonton, AB T5T 3S6 for Air and Water Branch Science and Standards Division Alberta Environment 9820 – 106 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2J6 April 2002 Pub. No: T/692 ISBN No. 0-7785-2500-7 (Printed Edition) ISBN No. 0-7785-2501-5 (On-line Edition) Web Site: www.gov.ab.ca/env/protenf/standards/ Any comments, questions, or suggestions regarding the content of this document may be directed to: Science and Standards Branch Alberta Environment 4th Floor, Oxbridge Place 9820 – 106th Street Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2J6 Fax: (780) 422-4192 Additional copies of this document may be obtained by contacting: Information Centre Alberta Environment Main Floor, Great West Life Building 9920 – 108th Street Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2M4 Phone: (780) 944-0313 Fax: (780) 427-4407 Email: [email protected] FOREWORD Alberta Environment maintains Ambient Air Quality Guidelines to support air quality management in Alberta. Alberta Environment currently has ambient guidelines for thirty-one substances and five related parameters. These guidelines are periodically updated and new guidelines are developed as required. Fact Sheets on Ambient Air Quality Guidelines were updated in September 1997 and February 2000. This document is prepared to support the development of a total (or grouped) volatile organic compound guideline. Long Fu, Ph.D. Project Manager Science and Standards Approaches to a Total (or Grouped) VOC Guideline i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many individuals have contributed toward the completion of this report in one form or another. For providing information, I thank Bob Myrick and Rob White of Alberta Environment; Barb Johnson of the West Central Airshed Society; Julie McLaughlin of the Wood Buffalo Environmental Association; and Kevin Warren of the Parkland Airshed Management Zone. I also thank members of the Air and Water Branch, Alberta Environment, for their constructive comments and useful discussion. I am particularly indebted to Long Fu of Alberta Environment for the many hours he spent working with me on this project, and the expertise he so willingly shared. Special thanks are due to Lynn Lockhart for her word processing skills in preparing and finalizing this report. Funding of this project from the Air Research Users Group, Alberta Environment, is gratefully acknowledged. Approaches to a Total (or Grouped) VOC Guideline ii TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD.................................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................... ii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................................ vii ABBREVIATIONS........................................................................................................ viii SUMMARY...................................................................................................................... x 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 2.0 VOC EMISSIONS IN ALBERTA .......................................................................... 2 2.1 Anthropogenic Emissions ........................................................................................2 2.2 Biogenic Emissions..................................................................................................5 3.0 AMBIENT VOC MONITORING IN ALBERTA...................................................... 8 3.1 Alberta Environment................................................................................................9 3.2 Wood Buffalo Environmental Association............................................................12 3.3 West Central Airshed Society................................................................................12 3.4 Parkland Airshed Management Zone.....................................................................16 4.0 INDOOR EXPOSURE TO VOC.......................................................................... 17 5.0 VOC ENDPOINTS AND THRESHOLDS ........................................................... 19 5.1 Health Effects of VOC...........................................................................................19 5.1.1 Carcinogenic Effects..................................................................................19 5.1.2 Non-Carcinogenic Effects..........................................................................24 5.1.3 Odour and Annoyance ...............................................................................25 5.2 Environmental Effects of VOC..............................................................................26 5.2.1 Ozone Formation Capacity........................................................................26 5.2.2 Particulate Matter......................................................................................29 6.0 APPROACHES TO VOC GUIDELINES............................................................. 32 6.1 Ambient Air Quality Guidelines............................................................................32 6.1.1 Alberta32 6.1.2 Other Jurisdictions in Canada...................................................................32 6.1.3 United States ..............................................................................................34 6.1.4 International ..............................................................................................35 6.2 Indoor Air Quality Guidelines ...............................................................................36 6.2.1 Health Canada...........................................................................................36 6.2.2 Commission of the European Communities...............................................36 6.2.3 Health Council of the Netherlands ............................................................37 Approaches to a Total (or Grouped) VOC Guideline iii 7.0 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 38 8.0 REFERENCES................................................................................................... 39 9.0 APPENDICES .................................................................................................... 43 Appendix 1: Anthropogenic VOC Emissions in Alberta...................................................44 Appendix 2: Biogenic VOC Emissions in Alberta ............................................................48 Appendix 3: Ambient VOC Monitoring in Alberta...........................................................50 Appendix 4: Sources of VOC in Indoor Environments.....................................................61 Appendix 5: Human Health Effects of VOC Exposure.....................................................63 Appendix 6: Photochemical Reactivity of VOC in the Atmosphere .................................84 Appendix 7: Summary of Ambient Air Quality Guidelines ..............................................87 Approaches to a Total (or Grouped) VOC Guideline iv LIST OF TABLES Table 2-1 Total anthropogenic and biogenic VOC emissions in Alberta and Canada in 1995 (Environment Canada 2001a and 2001b) .......................................................2 Table 2-2 Industrial sources of VOC in Alberta as reported to the National Pollutant Release Inventory in 1995 and 2000........................................................................3 Table 3-1 Annual concentrations of total hydrocarbons (THC) measured at Alberta Environment monitoring stations...........................................................................10 Table 3-2 Descriptions of hydrocarbon families used in the analysis of Alberta Environment VOC monitoring data.......................................................................11 Table 3-3 Mean annual VOC concentrations measured by AENV monitoring stations, grouped by hydrocarbon family.............................................................................13 Table 3-4 Annual concentrations of total hydrocarbons (THC) measured at Wood Buffalo Environmental Association monitoring stations.......................................16 Table 4-1 Comparison of benzene levels between Fort McMurray and Lethbridge..............18 Table 5-1 Summary of toxic VOC concentrations and lifetime cancer risk at Calgary Central, Edmonton Central and Edmonton East sampling stations for the period 1990-2000...................................................................................................21 Table 5-2 Total VOC thresholds in office buildings, as they apply to human health (adapted from Health Canada 1995a) ....................................................................25 Table 5-3 WHO ambient air guidelines for VOCs, based on sensory effects or annoyance reactions, using an averaging time of 30 minutes................................26 Table 5-4 VOCs which display the greatest maximum incremental reactivity......................27 Table 5-5 VOCs which display the greatest maximum ozone reactivity...............................28 Table 5-6 Average MIR and MOR values for VOCs at Alberta Environment