Investigation of volatile organic compounds personal exposures of primary school children in Eskişehir, İskenderun and Payas

In this study, exposure of 11-12 years old primary school children to BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene and o- xylene), NO2 and ozone were investigated in Iskenderun, Payas and Eskişehir. A total of 102 children were recruited from 4 schools in Iskenderun and Payas and 65 students were recruited from 2 schools in Eskişehir.BTEX exposure of children living in Eskişehir, Iskenderun and Payas were determined and health risk assessment was done by the help of personal exposure data. Differences between the regions were determined by the statistical analysis. Questionnaires were used to assess the relationship between the personal exposure and lifestyle. A linear model was used to calculate time weighted avarage personal exposure data in Eskişehir where indoor and outdoor sampling was also carried out. Indoor/Outdoor (I/O) ratios were used for the source characterization.