Application of Risk Assessment Study at Petro-Processors of Louisiana, Inc. (PPI) Site

Abstract

Petro-Processors of Louisiana, Inc. (PPI) site, located North of the city of Baton Rouge Parish, used two sites as depositories for various petrochemical wastes from mainly the 1960s until the 1980s. The main problem was the potential for leachate migration and for exposure of toxic materials, which had been released into local waterways. Therefore, the site is considered a public health hazard area because of risks to human health from past, present, and future exposure to hazardous substances. This study focuses on investigating selected chlorinated organic liquids, which are the predominant contaminants among all wastes: Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) with possible health effects using a risk assessment study. The results show that even though the petrochemical waste disposal has completely shut down since1980, it will still take an average of the HCB and HCBD to reach the domestic well with groundwater is 68 years and 57 years, respectively via slow migration, which will increase the cancer risks for the people who live near PPI site. Our results indicated that the cancer risks of exposure to HCB and HCBD are 4.6x10-6 and 2.6x10-3, respectively, which are more than the 10-6 goal. In addition, this study can be used at similar sites and for different compounds to investigate the potential impacts of pollutants on human health.