May 2018

International air quality monitoring specialist, Duvas Technologies, has launched the industry’s first global guide to benzene. Available to download from https://duvastechnologies.com/marketing-collateral/, the digital resource will help petrochemical professionals understand their air quality impact.

A volatile organic compound (VOC) that ranks among the top 20 chemicals produced in the US by volume, benzene has been linked to severe health issues – including anaemia, impacts on fertility and even acute myeloid leukaemia. The Duvas guide aims to raise awareness of these effects, as well as the limited and disjointed global legislation surrounding benzene emissions.

Alongside providing a comprehensive introduction to the chemical, detailing its use in industry, emission from liquid petroleum and regulated levels of exposure, the guide profiles next-generation technologies capable of accurately monitoring airborne benzene levels to within parts per billion (ppb) levels.

Steve Billingham, CEO of Duvas Technologies, commented: “Air quality must clearly rise further up the global priority list but, even more, accurate monitoring and reporting. If we fail to understand the true magnitude of VOCs, implementing solutions to minimise impacts will be unachievable.

“Fortunately, there have been major advances in the development of air quality monitoring technology – in particular, when it comes to the accurate detection and reporting of VOCs. Alongside proven photoionization detection and gas chromatography technology, advances in ultra-violet absorption spectroscopy are delivering new levels of precision and flexibility.”

To help companies across the petrochemicals industry to deliver fast, accurate, real-time benzene data, Duvas has launched the DV3000 detection analyser. Portable and easily fitted into bespoke vehicles, the system delivers multiple mobile readings every second. Providing ppb-level detail, this analysis delivers detailed, immediate insight.

Billingham concluded: “It is essential that we recognise the health and safety implications of benzene. As the World Health Organisation says, there are no safe concentrations. We are keen to help petrochemical companies take action on air pollution, thus safeguarding the health of workers and the general public.”

Earlier this month, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus published a groundbreaking report into the potential health risks of living near to an oil or gas facility. The study, conducted in Colorado’s North Front Range, sought to understand the levels of hazardous air pollutants (including carcinogens such as benzene) residents near to oil and gas facilities were exposed to.

Using ambient air samples to estimate and compare risks for four residential scenarios, the study found that the lifetime cancer risk of those living within 500 feet of a well was eight times higher than the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) upper level risk threshold.

The research by the University of Colorado is the latest in a long line of damning studies into air quality. In March of this year, the University of Innsbruck published a paper revealing the world’s first ‘fingerprint’ of urban emissions VOC sources, finding that the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are even higher than previously reported. Furthermore, the US EPA issued a report last year which found that long-term exposure to benzene levels as low as 1ppm could lead to long-term health conditions, such as anaemia, immune system damage and acute myeloid leukaemia.

Responding to the research, Steve Billingham, CEO of gas monitoring specialist Duvas Technologies, commented: “Fortunately, there have been major advancements over the past decade in the development of air quality monitoring technology. Alongside proven photoionization detection and gas chromatography technology, advances in UV Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (UV-DOAS) are delivering unprecedented levels of precision and flexibility.

“Next-generation monitoring solutions, such as the Duvas DV3000, quickly and clearly analyse gas type and concentration to within parts per billion (ppb) range. The system has already been adopted by businesses across the petrochemical industry to deliver fast, accurate and real-time benzene data. With the system is capable of monitoring for up to 13 additional species, its application can play a much more prominent role in the wider global air quality market.”

Billingham continues: “The recent academic studies highlight the need for a unified, global agreement on legislating against hazardous air pollutants. A great example of this can be found in California, which takes a particularly progressive approach to legislating against benzene and other VOC emissions. I’d like to see other states throughout America – and governments across the world – make serious commitments to improving air quality.”

“The findings from the University of Colorado are hugely concerning, for both those living near to an oil and gas facility, and those working at said facilities. A joined-up approach is critical to future progress and engendering legislative change, and we now have the technology to make accurate, real-time gas monitoring a reality.”