Risk assessment for the presence of potentially toxic elements in the vicinity of a former lead smelter in Bahia, Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiza Zenaide Santana Souza ◽  
Luiz Rogério Pinho de Andrade Lima
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Potentially Toxic Elements ◽  
Lead Smelter

scholarly journals Human Health Risk Assessment for Exposure to Potentially Toxic Elements in Polluted Rivers in the Ecuadorian Amazon

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 613
Author(s):  
Samantha Jiménez-Oyola ◽  
Kenny Escobar Segovia ◽  
María-Jesús García-Martínez ◽  
Marcelo Ortega ◽  
David Bolonio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Health Risk Assessment ◽  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Human Health Risk ◽  
Potentially Toxic Elements ◽  
Ecuadorian Amazon ◽  
Polluted Rivers

Anthropogenic activities performed in the Ecuadorian Amazon have released potentially toxic elements (PTEs) into the rivers, causing severe environmental pollution and increasing the risk of exposure to the residents of the surrounding areas. This study aims to carry out a human health risk assessment using deterministic and probabilistic methods to estimate the hazard index (HI) and total cancer risk (TCR) related to multi-pathway human exposure to PTEs in polluted rivers. Concentrations of Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn in surface water and sediment samples from rivers on the Ecuadorian Amazon were considered to assess the potential adverse human health effects. As a result, deterministic and probabilistic estimations of cancer and non-cancer risk through exposure to surface waters and sediments were above the safety limit. A sensitivity analysis identified the concentration of PTEs and the exposure duration (ED) as the two most important variables for probabilistic health risk assessment. The highest risk for receptors was related to exposure to polluted sediments through incidental ingestion and dermal contact routes. According to the deterministic estimation, the human health risk through ingestion of water was above the threshold in specific locations. This study reveals the potential health risk to which the population is exposed. This information can be used as a baseline to develop public strategies to reduce anthropogenic pollution and exposure to PTEs in Ecuadorian Amazon rivers.

scholarly journals Environmental Threats of Ancient Pb Mining and Metallurgical Activities in the Linares Mining District (Southern Spain)

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (23) ◽  
pp. 1459
Author(s):  
Carlos Boente ◽  
Carlos Sierra ◽  
Julián Martínez ◽  
Eduardo Rodríguez-Valdés ◽  
Elías Afif ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Potentially Toxic Elements ◽  
Mining District ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
Industrial Sites ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Metallurgical Activities

Former industrial sites are now dedicated to other land uses in the Linares mining district. Here we selected five residential/farming areas (squares of 1 km2 each) and sought to evaluate the levels of contamination by Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) of the soils, and also to offer an insight into the threat these pollutants may pose to human health or the environment by means of risk assessment. High concentrations especially of Pb, and also of As, Cd, Cu and Zn were found in quantities that are considerably bioavailable. Moreover, risk assessment revealed unacceptable concentrations for Pb and As in all the areas as well as for Cd and Cu in some squares.

scholarly journals Simultaneous Health Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils and Sediments of the Guishui River Basin, Beijing

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (22) ◽  
pp. 4539
Author(s):  
Jiankang Wang ◽  
Bo Gao ◽  
Shuhua Yin ◽  
Dongyu Xu ◽  
Laisheng Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Health Risk Assessment ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Potentially Toxic Elements ◽  
Soils And Sediments ◽  
Basin Scale

Simultaneous ecological and health risk assessments of potentially toxic elements in soils and sediments can provide substantial information on their environmental influence at the river-basin scale. Herein, soil and sediment samples were collected from the Guishui River basin to evaluate the pollution situation and the ecological and health risk of potentially toxic elements. Various indexes were utilized for quantitatively assessing their health risks. Pollution assessment by geo-accumulation index showed that Cd had “uncontaminated to moderately polluted” status in the soils and sediments. Potential ecological risk index showed that the Guishui River basin was at low risk in general, but Cd was classified as “moderate or considerable ecological risk” both in the soils and sediments. Health risk assessment calculated human exposure from soils and indicated that both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of the selected potentially toxic elements were lower than the acceptable levels. Health risks posed by potentially toxic elements bio-accumulated in fish, stemming from sediment resuspension, were also assessed. Non-carcinogenic hazard index indicated no adverse health effects on humans via exposure to sediments; however, in general, Cr contributed largely to health risks among the selected potentially toxic elements. Therefore, special attention needs to be paid to the Guishui River basin in the future.

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