The Fate of BTEX Compounds in Ambient Air

As a result of the industrialization and urbanization in the world, human pressure on the environment is intensifying, leading to detrimental changes in both biotic and abiotic compartments. One of the many consequences of this state of affairs is the increasing rate of emission into the atmosphere of volatile organic compounds, including the so-called BTEX (benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, xylenes) compounds. The authors review the main sources of BTEX compounds in ambient air and the impact on the photochemistry and individual elements of the environment (water, air, soil, living organisms). Potential transport mechanisms, which include transpiration, distribution, bioaccumulation, biodegradation, are described. The authors present the characteristic mechanisms of radical reactions and gives a view on environmental fate of BTEX compounds in the atmosphere. The article comprises the concentration of BTEX compounds both in rural and industrial areas of different parts of world, showing the scale of existing emissions of BTEX compounds to the atmosphere.