Evaluation of the Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon Standard at Jet Fuel Contaminated Air Force Sites

Abstract

This document evaluates the scientific strength of chemicals other then total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) as a basis for establishing risk-based cleanup standards at fuel-contaminated sites. The appropriateness of using benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) as substitutes for TPH was evaluated, including examination of the basis for current federal and state TPH and BTEX cleanup levels. The suitability of specific components of jet-fuel as potential substitutes for TPH was evaluated. Benzene appears to be the most appropriate substitute for TPH based on its toxicity, weight-of-evidence cancer classification, motility in the environment, ubiquity at fuel-contaminated sites, and solubility in ground water. Finally, assumptions, constants, and risk assessment methods critical to deriving site-specific cleanup concentrations were examined to establish a more scientifically justifiable and defensible basis for cleanup concentrations. Two major components were examined: alternative cancer slope factor determinations for benzene (i.e., distributional analysis of dose-response relationships developed from cancer studies), and site specific exposure reduction strategies (i.e., distributional analysis of exposure estimates). Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Hydrocarbon contamination, TPH, Jet fuel risk-based clean standards, Xylene (BTEX)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1994
Accession Number
ADA284751

Entities

People

  • E. A. Mckenna
  • J. R. Schroeder
  • S. H. Youngren
  • S. R. Baker
  • T. B. Piccin

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alkanes
  • Aromatic Hydrocarbons
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Cyclic Hydrocarbons
  • Drinking Water
  • Ecology
  • Environment
  • Environmental Health
  • Environmental Protection
  • Epidemiology
  • Groundwater
  • Medical Personnel
  • Natural Resources
  • Petroleum
  • Public Health
  • Risk Analysis

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Groundwater Contamination Remediation.
  • Regression Analysis.