Abstract
Heavy metals in road dust pose a significant threat to human health. This study investigated the concentrations, patterns, and sources of eight hazardous heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, and Hg) in the street dust of Zhengzhou city of PR China. Fifty-eight samples of road dust were analyzed based on three methods of risk assessment, i.e., Geo-Accumulation Index (Igeo), Potential Ecological Risk Assessment (RI), and Nemerow Synthetic Pollution Index (PIN). The results exhibited higher concentrations of Hg and Cd 14 and 7 times higher than their background values, respectively. Igeo showed the risks of contamination in a range of unpolluted (Cr, Ni) to strongly polluted (Hg and Cd) categories. RI came up with the contamination ranges from low (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb) to extreme (Cd and Hg) risk of contamination. The risk of contamination based on PIN was from safe (Cu, As, and Pb) to seriously high (Cd and Hg). The results yielded by PIN indicated the extreme risk of Cd and Hg in the city. Positive Matrix Factorization was used to identify the sources of contamination. Factor 1 (vehicular exhaust), Factor 2 (coal combustion), Factor 3 (metal industry), and Factor 4 (anthropogenic activities), respectively, contributed 14.63%, 35.34%, 36.14%, and 13.87% of total heavy metal pollution. Metal’s presence in the dust is a direct health risk for humans and warrants immediate and effective pollution control and prevention measures in the city.
Highlights
Higher population densities in urban areas lead to increased levels of anthropogenic activities and the corresponding risk of pollution [1]
The core objectives include (1) estimating heavy metal concentrations with respect to diverse land use in Zhengzhou, (2) the geochemical mapping and pattern drawing of heavy metals, (3) the quantitative identification of the source of pollution using positive matrix factorization (PMF), and (4) the application of traditional risk assessment method to assess the severity of contamination
Cif = Cni /Bni where Eri is the potential ecological risk factor, Tri is the response of toxic factor, Cif is the contamination factor, C0i −1 is the average content of certain element, and Cni is the reference value of geochemical in the road dust
Summary
Higher population densities in urban areas lead to increased levels of anthropogenic activities and the corresponding risk of pollution [1]. Aerosols can cause the spread of various pollutants, including heavy metals These metals naturally occur or are released during various activities, e.g., combustion and metal processing, can adopt the form of aerosols, and under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors, can move to large extents of the land and atmosphere. The core objectives include (1) estimating heavy metal concentrations with respect to diverse land use in Zhengzhou, (2) the geochemical mapping and pattern drawing of heavy metals, (3) the quantitative identification of the source of pollution using positive matrix factorization (PMF), and (4) the application of traditional risk assessment method to assess the severity of contamination. All these aspects of urbanization lead to increased carbon footprint and give rise to environmental consequences, being witnessed by the city
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