Exposure to Environmental Pollution in Schools of Puchuncaví, Chile: Characterization of Heavy Metals, Health Risk Assessment, and Effects on Children’s Academic Performance

Abstract

In Chile, Puchuncaví and Quintero face substantial environmental pollution challenges. Industrial and vehicular emissions expose schoolchildren to elevated levels of pollutants, decreasing sustainability and posing risks to both their health and educational advancement. The aim of this study is to determine the distribution of heavy metals (Li, Be, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Tl, Pb, and Cu) in the dust in and around the schools in these cities. We also evaluate the associated carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks, as well as whether their concentrations affect the academic performance (AP) of the students. The chemical composition of the collected dust samples is analyzed using positive matrix factorization, and two interpretable factors related to two sources of contamination (industrial and traffic + crustal) are determined. The health risk is assessed using a model including inhalation, dermal contact, and ingestion, and the influence of metal concentration on the AP of students is determined using an econometric model. The metal concentration is found to be related to the distance to the pollution source, and differences are observed between indoor and outdoor samples. The carcinogenic risk is low, while the non-carcinogenic risk is high in Greda School. The levels of heavy metals inside and outside the schools are found to influence AP. In these cities, children are exposed to high levels of environmental pollution, which may pose a risk to their health and impact their AP.