Benzene, toluene, and total BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) concentrations registered for one year (2016) have been determined every month for one high-density traffic area. The assessment was performed in Arad City, Romania, to evaluate these pollutants and their influence on the inhabitants' health. The contaminants were sampled using a static sampling method and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Benzene was the most dominant among the BTEX compounds-the average concentrations ranged from 18.00 ± 1.32 µg m-3 in December to 2.47 ± 0.74 µg m-3 in August. The average toluene concentration over the year was 4.36 ± 2.42 µg m-3 (with a maximum of 9.60 ± 2.39 µg m-3 in November and a minimum of 1.04 ± 0.29 µg m-3 in May). The toluene/benzene ratio (T/B) was around 0.5, indicating substantial contributions from mobile sources (vehicles). The emission and accumulation of different aromatic compounds (especially benzene) could deteriorate the urban air quality. The lifetime cancer risk (LTCR) for benzene was found to be more than 10-5 in winter, including the inhabitants in the "probable cancer risk" category.
Keywords: BTEX; air pollution; health impact; motor vehicles; urban air.