Determination of priority influencing factors for risk assessment of carcinogenic toxic elements in resuspendable surface dust of urban communities

Abstract

Urban communities are important places for residents' daily life and activities. This study determined the contamination, eco-health hazards, and influencing factors of certain carcinogenic toxic elements (CTEs) in resuspendable surface dust (RSD) of urban communities in Xi'an. The results indicated that the mean contents of As (12.7 mg kg−1), Cr (132.9 mg kg−1), Ni (33.5 mg kg−1), and Pb (112.6 mg kg−1) in the study areas were higher than their background values. The contamination level and eco-health risk were quantified based on the enrichment factor, Nemerow integrated enrichment factor, modified Nemerow integrated ecological risk index, and health risk estimation method, combined with Monte Carlo simulation. The overall pollution and ecological risk of CTEs in the RSD were moderate and low, respectively. CTEs in RSD have a high cancer risk to all residents (over-standard rate > 80%) and non-cancer risk to children (over-standard rate = 26.9%) in Xi'an. The major factors affecting the environmental risks of CTEs were traffic and residential activities. Vegetation distribution in the city reduced the environmental risks of CTEs in the RSD. Therefore, future management strategies should focus more on protecting children's health, increasing green spaces and public transportation, and maintaining the hygiene of urban communities.