Air Pollutant Dynamics and Behaviours in Tobacco Processing and Storage Environments: Implications for Air Quality and Health Hazards

Abstract

Tobacco curing, typically conducted inside homes, poses significant environmental and health hazards due to elevated airborne pollutant emissions. This study evaluates and characterizes air pollutants from tobacco processing (CH) and storage facilities (SH), focusing on air quality and associated health risks. A comprehensive analysis of key air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), gaseous pollutants, and meteorological parameters, measured in situ from six CHs and three SHs over a 24-hour period. Pollutant dynamics are influenced by ambient temperature (AT) and relative humidity (RH), with higher temperatures and low humidity amplifying emissions. Statistical analysis confirms that PM2.5, PM10, total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), HCHO, NO₂, O₃, and SO₂ exceed standards, with most following flat distributions and occasional spikes. Indoor-outdoor ratio (I/O) analysis shows outdoor pollution stems from biomass combustion, while indoor levels result from both outdoor diffusion and indoor emissions. Various indices show strong correlations among TVOCs, HCHO, NO₂, and O₃, suggesting similar sources and behaviours, while CO₂ correlates with CO, SO₂ with H₂S, and PM₂.₅ with PM₁₀. Air quality indices (AQI) indicate severe degradation, with SH reaching very unhealthy (Q5) and CH unhealthy (Q4) levels, primarily driven by PM, NO₂, and O₃. These pollutants pose significant threats to human and plant health, particularly children sleeping in storage houses. TVOCs, HCHO, and NO₂ primarily affect plant health, while TVOCs, HCHO, NO₂, and PM drive non-carcinogenic risks (NCR), with TVOCs notably impacting cancer risks (CR). This research provides crucial insights to guide policymakers in addressing health risks and improving production practices.