Association between Pesticides in House Dust and Residential Proximity to Farmland in a Rural Region of Taiwan

Pesticide drift was reported in many international studies, but rarely studied in Taiwan. We conducted a study in a rural region of Taiwan to examine the associations between pesticides in house dust and nearby agricultural areas using geographic information system (GIS). A questionnaire regarding home characteristics and pesticide use, and indoor and outdoor dust samples were collected from 47 rural homes. Dust samples were analyzed for six pesticides, and agricultural land data for GIS analysis were retrieved from a national website. All but prallethrin were frequently detected from indoor dust samples (>50%), and the maximum concentrations were all below 1000 ng/g. Detection frequencies and concentrations of pesticides in outdoor dust samples were even lower than that in indoor dust samples. Only “work involving pesticides” in the questionnaire was significantly associated with four pesticides in house dust (p < 0.05). Carbofuran and tetramethrin in house dust were significantly correlated with rice cultivation area at certain buffer distances (ρ > 0.33, p < 0.05), and chlorpyrifos was found to be associated with abandoned cultivation area, suggesting the occurrence of pesticide drift. Despite the low levels of pesticides in house dust, residents in the rural region should be cautious of pesticide drift from nearby active or abandoned farmlands.

Fogo Volcano (Cape Verde) 2014-2015 Eruption: Dust Characterization and Impacts on Environment and Human Health

Fogo (Fogo island, Cape Verde Republic) is the youngest and most active volcano of the archipelago. The last eruption occurred in 2014&ndash;2015. Aiming at studying dust emissions and transport during the eruption period and assessing their impact on air quality and human health, a mineralogical and chemical characterization was undertaken in outdoor dust from all over the island, as well as in the lava resulting from this event. Air quality monitors were used to obtain concentrations of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and gaseous pollutants. The mineralogical constitution of the samples was analysed by X-ray diffraction and Electron Microprobe, while the chemical characterization was performed through X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry and ICP-MS. The volcanic rock was found to be tephritic to basanitic, with high potassium content. Several minerals were identified, such as titanian augite with ilmenite, basaltic hornblendes, pyrrhotites, apatites, pyroxenes, basaltic hornblendes and hematites. Concentrations of the particulate matter inhalable fraction (PM10) exceeded the 24-hour mean of 50 &micro;g/m3 recommended by the World Health Organization. Nevertheless, total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) showed levels lower than the worrying range. The highest levels of CO2 were recorded in more populated villages and farthest from the volcano. The Pollution Load Index (PLI) for outdoor dust collected on rooftops was always above 1, suggesting enrichment, with higher values in the dust size fraction &lt; 63 &micro;m. In the same way, the Contamination Factor pointed to high enrichment of As, Ni and Pb, and very high enrichment of Cd in the same size fraction. The Non-carcinogenic Hazard Quotient and Hazard Index estimated for Children suggest that health problems may arise. The Carcinogenic Risk, for all size fractions, was above the target risk. The element that most contributed to the global risk was As, followed by Pb and Co. Ingestion was the main exposure route for all size fractions. The dust size fraction that represented the highest risk was &lt; 63 &micro;m, mostly due to the As concentration.

Simultaneous Determination and Preliminary Source Estimation of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Road Dust from Northern Vietnam

Concentrations of seven indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (Ʃ7PCBs) and eight predominant polybrominated diphenyl ethers (Ʃ8PBDEs) were examined in outdoor dust samples collected from some representative areas in northern Vietnam, including a core urban area of Hanoi City, an industrial park in Thai Nguyen Province, and a rural area in Bac Giang Province. Levels (median and range) of Ʃ7PCBs and Ʃ8PBDEs in our dust samples were 2.8 (0.028–22) and 11 (0.55–52) ng/g, respectively. Concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs in the urban and industrial dust samples were significantly higher than those measured in the rural ones, suggesting the role of urbanization-industrialization processes on the emission of these pollutants. PCBs exhibited specific profiles in the industrial dusts with significant proportions of low-chlorinated congeners such as CB-28 and CB-52, while the remaining samples were more contaminated by heavier compounds such as CB-118, CB-138, and CB-153. For PBDEs, BDE-209 was the most predominant congener in all the samples. Emission souces of PCBs and PBDEs in our dust samples were estimated to be household, traffic, and industrial activities. Human exposure to PCBs and PBDEs in outdoor dusts was estimated, implying relatively low health risk.

Distribution, sources and exposure risk of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils, indoor and outdoor dusts from Port Harcourt City, Nigeria

In this study, we evaluated the concentrations, composition, sources, and potential risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils, and indoor and outdoor dust from Port Harcourt city in Nigeria....