Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) Composition and Human Health Risk Assessment of PM10 on the Roadways of Industrial Complexes in South Korea

Road and industrial origin particulate matters (PM) are a significant source of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), with health risks to the surrounding residents. In Korea for 60 years, although industries, roads and automobiles have increased aggressively, there are still few PTEs data in PM in road-deposited sediment (RDS) of industrial complexes (ICs). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the PTE composition of on-road PM10 from nine major ICs and its pollution degree in Korea and evaluate its human health risks. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and pollution load index (PLI) elucidated that on-road PM10 were severely polluted by Sb, Zn, Ag and Pb. A combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and chemical tracers was used to define the PTEs sources. The results showed that non-exhaust emission from vehicles’ activity is the primary source of PTEs in on-road PM10, and industrial emissions are the secondary source. The riskiest pathway on carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic by on-road PM10 with PTEs was in-gestion. Traffic origin PTEs including Pb, As, Sb and Cd had a more significant impact on carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health than those of industrial origins. These results could help mitigate public health risks arising from on-road PM10 and improve air quality in ICs.

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Chemical Fractionation, Environmental, and Human Health Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soil of Industrialised Urban Areas in Serbia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18179412 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (17) ◽

pp. 9412

Author(s):

Dragana Pavlović ◽

Marija Pavlović ◽

Veljko Perović ◽

Zorana Mataruga ◽

Dragan Čakmak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Health ◽

Health Risks ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Toxic Elements ◽

Human Health Risk ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Carcinogenic Risk ◽

Potentially Toxic Elements ◽

Chemical Fractionation ◽

Form Analysis

The primary focus of this research was the chemical fractionation of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and their presence in several industrialised cities in Serbia. Furthermore, their origin, contamination levels, and environmental and human health risks were assessed. The results indicated that the examined soils were characterised by slightly higher Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn levels than those set by European and national regulations. These elevated Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations were caused by intensive traffic and proximity to industry, whereas the higher Ni levels were a result of the specific geological substrate of the soil in the study area. The environmental risk was found to be low and there was no enrichment/contamination of the soil with these elements, except in the case of Pb, for which moderate to significant enrichment was found. Lead also poses a potential non-carcinogenic risk to children through ingestion and requires special attention due to the fact that a significant proportion of this element was present in the tested soil samples in a potentially available form. Analysis of the health risks showed that children are more at risk than adults from contaminants and that ingestion is the riskiest exposure route. The carcinogenic risk was within the acceptable limits.

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Quantitative analysis of ecological risk and human health risk of potentially toxic elements in farmland soil based on PMF model

10.22541/au.163250658.89376418/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chang-Chen Haung ◽

Li-mei Cai ◽

Yao-Hui Xu ◽

Han-Hui Wen ◽

Jie Luo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Risk ◽

Human Health ◽

Health Risks ◽

Ecological Risk ◽

Toxic Elements ◽

Human Health Risk ◽

Carcinogenic Risk ◽

Potentially Toxic Elements ◽

Human Health Risks ◽

Farmland Soil

In this research, enrichment factor (EF) and pollution load index (PLI) were utilized to estimate the features of enrichment and contamination of PTEs in farmland soil. Furthermore, combining the spatial distribution characteristics of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) to distinguish and quantify the sources of PTEs in farmland soil, and then the potential ecological risk (PER) and human health risk (HHR) model based on PMF are applied to quantify the ecological and human health risks from different sources. Taking Puning District as an example, four sources of PTEs in farmland soil were quantitatively allocated. For ecological risk, the study area is at moderate ecological hazard level, and industrial activities were the greatest contributor. The mean E_r^i of Hg were 69.82, reaching medium ecological risk level. For human health risks, both adults and children have no evident non-carcinogenic risk in the study area. And natural source was the largest contributor to non-carcinogenic risk, followed by agricultural activities. With regard to carcinogenic risk, tolerable risks of soil PTEs in the study area were limited not only for adults but also for children. Furthermore, compared with adults, the health risks of children, whether non-carcinogenic or carcinogenic, were higher than those of adults, and the trends in health risks for children and adults were similar. A comprehensive scheme combining source contribution and risk assessment is conducive to quantitatively assess ecological risks, health risks and priority pollution sources, thereupon provide effective suggestions for protecting human health and preventing and controlling pollution.

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

Water ◽

10.3390/w13050613 ◽

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.

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