Hierarchical Clustering Assisted Human Health Risk Assessment of PAHs in a Typical Oilfield, China

To assess how the human exposure to environmental carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contaminant generated from a typical oilfield, we used a recommended exposure risk model, appraised with actual measured PAH concentration in an oilfield soils. Hierarchical clustering method was also applied to classfied the total exposure risk (carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic) of 16 PAHs, and four risk grades were obtained as zero risk, low risk, medium risk, and high risk. It was found that ingestion was the major exposure route among the three exposure routes. Risks of dibenz(a,h)anthracene and benzo(a)pyrene were higher than the other contaminants, and represent high risk grade.