Investigation of the emission characteristics of odorous and health risk assessment in the organochlorine pesticide site

Organochlorine pesticide field tends to emit odor during the soil-remediation process, potentially harming the surrounding environment and human health. To investigate odor pollution during soil remediation at an organochlorine pesticide site, and ‌evaluate‌ the human health risk from air pollution near the soil, areas with the odor intensity at or exceeding level 3 were selected as potential study zones. Sensory analysis, along with gas chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) and reference concentrations (RfC) and inhalation slope factor (SF) were used. A total of 97 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in the soil samples with total concentrations ranging from 0.263 mg·m−3 to 1.729 mg·m−3. Additionally, 110 VOCs were identified in the ambient air near the soil samples with total concentrations range between 0.236 mg·m−3 and 25.118 mg·m−3. The air near the soil in 7 areas showed strong sensory degrees with the odor concentration ranging from 416 to 9772. The primary contributors to the odor pollution were identified as oxygenated organic compounds, aromatic compounds and organic sulfides, including acetaldehyde, methylthiol, diethyl benzene, methyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, phenol and dibenzene ether, among others. Furthermore, the ambient air near the soil samples presented carcinogenic risks (>1.0×10−4), with benzene and dichloromethane being the primary carcinogens, posing a potential threat to human health at these levels.