Abstract
The goal of this research is to assess hazardous heavy metal levels in PM2.5 fractioned road dust in order to quantify the risk of inhalation and potential health effects. To accomplish this, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS) was used to determine concentrations of eight heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd, As, Pb, and Hg) in the PM2.5 portion of road dust samples from five different land use areas (commercial, residential, industrial, parks, and educational) in Zhengzhou, China. The following were the average heavy metal concentrations in the city: Cr 46.26 mg/kg, Cu 25.13 mg/kg, Ni 12.51 mg/kg, Zn 152.35 mg/kg, Cd 0.56 mg/kg, As 11.53 mg/kg, Pb 52.15 mg/kg, and Hg 0.32 mg/kg. Two pollution indicators, the Pollution Index (PI) and the Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), were used to determine the degree of contamination. Both PI and Igeo indicated the extreme pollution of Hg and Cd, while PI also ranked Zn in the extreme polluted range. The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) model for adults and children was used to estimate health risks by inhalation. The results identified non-carcinogenic exposure of children to lead (HI > 0.1) in commercial and industrial areas. Both children and adults in Zhengzhou’s commercial, residential, and park areas are exposed to higher levels of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn).
Highlights
Heavy metals pose a serious threat to human health, and their increasing presence in urban road dust warrants a health emergency
Environmentalists believe that heavy metal contamination is a significant hazard to the environment [5], and during the previous two decades, a crisis happened with the increasing buildup and spread of heavy metals [6]
Except for Cr and Ni, all heavy metal mean concentrations were determined to be higher than corresponding background values [38]
Summary
Heavy metals pose a serious threat to human health, and their increasing presence in urban road dust warrants a health emergency. Studies reveal that the accumulation and spread of heavy metals in urban road dust is caused by both anthropogenic and natural factors [1]. Urban areas are more vulnerable to heavy metal contamination compared to rural areas, given the population density and presence of diverse sources of pollution [3]. There is evidence that chronic deposition of metals in metropolitan environments can operate as a secondary pollution source, resulting in public health issues. Because of their weakened or underdeveloped immune systems, the elderly and children are generally considered the most vulnerable groups. Children once again make up the group more susceptible to heavy metals, which can negatively influence their natural growth [12]
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