scholarly journals Arsenic Contamination and Associated Health Risk (Brief Review)

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 563-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astha Kumari ◽  
N. S. Maurya

The health risk assessment of residents consuming groundwater with high arsenic concentrations has attracted widespread concern. This study therefore is aimed at providing a framework to evaluate the risks imposed to local residents of Simaria Patti Ojha village of Bhojpur district, Bihar. Results showed that the mean values of ADD, HQ and CR were 5.1 µg/(Kg Day) (PTDI- 2.1 µg/(Kg Day), 5-17 (safe range <1) and 0.002-0.007(tolerable range, 10-6-10-4), respectively. Carcinogenic risk value was found as 4.7 × 10-3 around 100 times higher than safe range of 10−6–10−4, indicating high risks to the local residents. Hence, this study will help in suggesting suitable implementation measures on ground to deal with the risk of arsenic contamination and diseases caused due to its prolonged exposure.

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11853
Author(s):  
Xingyong Zhang ◽  
Qixin Wu ◽  
Shilin Gao ◽  
Zhuhong Wang ◽  
Shouyang He

Heavy metals are released into the water system through various natural processes and anthropogenic activities, thus indirectly or directly endangering human health. The distribution, source, water quality and health risk assessment of dissolved heavy metals (V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Mo, Sb) in major rivers in Wuhan were analyzed by correlation analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), heavy metal pollution index (HPI), hazard index (HI) and carcinogenic risk (CR). The results showed that the spatial variability of heavy metal contents was pronounced. PCA and CA results indicated that natural sources controlled Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Mo, and industrial emissions were the dominant factor for V, Zn and Sb, while As was mainly from the mixed input of urban and agricultural activities. According to the heavy metal pollution index (HPI, ranging from 23.74 to 184.0) analysis, it should be noted that As and Sb contribute most of the HPI values. The health risk assessment using HI and CR showed that V and Sb might have a potential non-carcinogenic risk and As might have a potential carcinogenic risk to adults and children in the study area (CR value exceeded target risk 10−4). At the same time, it was worth noting that As might have a potential non-carcinogenic risk for children around QLR (HI value exceeded the threshold value 1). The secular variation of As and Sb should be monitor in high-risk areas. The results of this study can provide important data for improving water resources management efficiency and heavy metal pollution prevention in Wuhan.


Author(s):  
Agnieszka Gruszecka-Kosowska

The presence of potentially harmful elements (PHEs) in popularly consumed fruits in Poland was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se, Sb, Tl, and Zn contents were investigated in 21 fruit species grouped as berry, pome, stone, and shell fruits. The PHE contents belonged to the following ranges (mg/kg wet weight): Cd < limit of detection (LOD)–0.116, Co < LOD–0.062, Cu < LOD–15.5, Ni < LOD–2.23, Pb < LOD–2.07, Sb < LOD–0.240, Tl < LOD–0.110, and Zn 0.37–37.7. Their concentrations exceeded the maximum allowable concentration (MAC) set by European Union regulation for Pb only. Bioconcentration coefficient (BC) values, calculated in accordance to the PHE contents in exchangeable and acid soluble forms in soil after first step of the Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction procedure, revealed that berry fruits had potential for accumulation of Cu, Ni, Sb, and Tl; stone fruits—Cu, Sb, and Tl; pome fruits—Cu, Ni, and Sb, and shell fruit (walnut)—Cu. Human health risk assessment associated with the intake of PHEs in fruits was evaluated in terms of daily intake rates (DIR), and carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk by cancer risk (CR) and hazard quotient (HQ), respectively. For Pb margin of exposure (MOE) approach was used for health risk evaluation. Daily intake rates for all PHEs were below the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) values. The mean total non-carcinogenic risk values were the following: berry fruits HQ = 0.47, pome fruits HQ = 0.36, stone fruits HQ = 0.42, and shell fruits (walnut) HQ = 0.22, indicating no health hazards. The carcinogenic risk for As in walnut only under an adult intake scenario (CR = 1.98 × 10−6) was found to be above the acceptable risk level. The mean Pb health risk, according to Polish statistical intake rates, was acceptable low as the MOE value was equal to 15.7 for adults. In reference to the intake rates recommended by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), MOE values for Pb indicated acceptable low risk both for adults (MOE = 14.0) and children (MOE = 1.64). In general, the finding of this research revealed no health risk arising from PHE consumption with fruits for the population of Poland.


Author(s):  
Jiawen Yu ◽  
Jinlong Zhou ◽  
Aihua Long ◽  
Xinlin He ◽  
Xiaoya Deng ◽  
...  

A longevity area in Xinjiang, China and an adjacent non-longevity area both have similar climatic and hydrogeological conditions, and the residents of the two control groups have similar ethnic composition, diets and lifestyles. This study investigated if differences in groundwater quality between the longevity area and the non-longevity area are associated with the health of residents in the two control groups. In order to quantitatively describe the groundwater quality of the two control groups and its influence on human health, the Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method (FCEM) was used to compare and assess the overall water environment of the two control groups. Furthermore, the human health risk of groundwater for the two control groups was assessed using the Health Risk Assessment Model recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Results showed that the overall water environment categories for the longevity area and non-longevity area are moderate quality (grade III) and very poor quality (grade V), respectively. The main health risk in the longevity area water environment is the non-carcinogenic risk (HQLLV) caused by Cl−. The main health risks in the non-longevity area water environment are the non-carcinogenic risk (HQCA) caused by Cl− and the carcinogenic risk (RiskCA) caused by As. The total health risk (HRall) caused by over-standard inorganic pollutants in the water environment of the non-longevity area is 3.49 times higher than that of the longevity area. In addition, the study showed that the water environment pollution downstream of the Keriya River is conjunctively caused by agricultural activities and domestic sewage. The overall water environment of the longevity area is more conducive to the health-longevity of residents than the non-longevity area.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gevorg Tepanosyan ◽  
Lilit Sahakyan ◽  
Armen Saghatelyan

&lt;p&gt;Soils of urbanized and mining areas succeeded the main geochemical features of parent materials, as well as accumulate potentially toxic elements (PTE) from different anthropogenic sources. The latter resulted in the change of soil chemical composition and high level of PTE which may have negative reflection on people&amp;#8217;s health. In this study 207 soil samples were collected from the entire territory of the city of Alaverdi hosting Alaverdi copper smelter. After the determination of Fe, Ba, Mn, Co, V, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, As and Mo concentrations by XRF the established data set was subjected for the PTE induced health risk assessment. In this study two commonly used health risk assessment approaches - Summary pollution index (Zc) [1]&amp;#8211;[3] and Hazard Index (HI, US EPA) [4] were used to assess human health risk posed by the content of studied PTE in soil of Alaverdi city. The result showed that the detected concentrations are mainly the result of superposition of PTE contents introduced into the environment from natural mineralization processes and Alaverdi copper smelter related activities. The health risk assessment showed that the Zc values belonging to the extremely hazardous level has point-like shape and are surrounded by the hazardous and moderately hazardous levels, respectively. Summary pollution index showed that approximately 53 % of the city territory including the residential part is under the risk suggesting the increase in the overall incidence of diseases among frequently ill individuals, functional disorders of the vascular system and children with chronic diseases [1]. The US EPA method were in line with the results of the Zc and indicated that the observed contents of elements are posing non-carcinogenic risk to adult mainly near the copper smelter. In the case of children single-element non-carcinogenic risk values greater than 1 were detected for As, Fe, Co, Cu, Mn, Pb and Mo in 122, 95, 86, 10, 10, 9 and 6 samples out of 207 soil samples and the mean HQ values decrease in the following order: As(2.41)&gt;Fe(1.14)&gt;Co(1.09)&gt; Mn(0.61)&gt;Pb(0.41)&gt;Cu(0.32)&gt;V(0.19)&gt;Mo(0.11)&gt;Cr(0.05)&gt;Ba(0.03)&gt;Zn(0.02). The multi-elemental non-carcinogenic risk observed in the entire territory of the city indicating an adverse health effect to children. The results of this study suggesting the need of immediate risk reduction measures with special attention to arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;References:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[1]&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160; E. K. Burenkov and E. P. Yanin, &amp;#8220;Ecogeochemical investigations in IMGRE: past, present, future,&amp;#8221; Appl. Geochemistry, vol. 2, pp. 5&amp;#8211;24, 2001.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[2]&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160; C. C. Johnson, A. Demetriades, J. Locutura, and R. T. Ottesen, Mapping the Chemical Environment of Urban Areas. 2011.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[3]&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160; Y. E. Saet, B. A. Revich, and E. P. Yanin, Environmental geochemistry. Nedra, 1990.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[4]&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160; RAIS, &amp;#8220;Risk Exposure Models for Chemicals User&amp;#8217;s Guide,&amp;#8221; The Risk Assessment Information System, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://rais.ornl.gov/tools/rais_chemical_risk_guide.html. [Accessed: 01-Jan-2020].&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 3374-3387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Yang ◽  
Silu Ma ◽  
Jingcheng Zhou ◽  
Yongwei Song ◽  
Fei Li

Objective This study was performed to evaluate the state of heavy metal contamination in soil and vegetables and assess the health risk of inhabitants in the mine-affected area and area far from the mine (reference area) in Daye, China. Methods The heavy metal concentrations in soil and vegetable samples were detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Residents’ exposure parameters were obtained through a questionnaire survey. A health risk assessment model recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency was used to evaluate the residents’ risk of oral exposure. Results The copper, lead, cadmium, and arsenic concentrations in soil and in vegetables were higher in the mine-affected area than in the reference area. The health risk of residents in the reference area was within the acceptable range (hazard index < 1, carcinogen risk < 10−4). In the contaminated area, however, the mean hazard index was 2.25 for children and 3.00 for adults, and the mean carcinogen risk was 4.749 × 10−4 for children and 0.587 × 10−4 for adults. Conclusions Potential health risks exist for inhabitants near the mine area. Cadmium and arsenic should be paid more attention as risk sources.


Author(s):  
Kai Ma ◽  
Hao Ren ◽  
Tianhong Zhou ◽  
Fuping Wu ◽  
Guozhen Zhang

Abstract The Yellow River flows through Lanzhou city and is the only drinking water source for 3.6 million people. However, people are not clear about the water environmental quality and safety in Lanzhou. To address this problem. Water samples were collected from different sites within this section during the high water period, normal water period and dry water period, and the environmental quality and health risk of the surface water were evaluated using the Nemerow index and health risk assessment method. The results are as follows: first, none of the pollutants exceeded the standard, except for total nitrogen; second, the highest comprehensive evaluation score was 1.04, so the water quality level was good; third, the health risk assessment showed that health risk value of water quality in the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River is on the high side, which is mainly caused by Chromium(Cr); fourth, the carcinogenic risk is five orders of magnitude higher than the non-carcinogenic risk, and the total carcinogenic risk is higher than the maximum acceptable risk level (10−5 a−1), while the total non-carcinogenic risk is lower than the acceptable health risk level (10−6 a−1). Therefore, to ensure the safety of its drinking water, Cr pollutants in the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River should be properly treated and controlled.


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