Particle Size Distribution and Human Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Atmospheric Particles from Beijing and Xinxiang During Summer

Abstract

Under a condition of good air quality (AQI:55-90, PM10:37-97 μg·m-3, PM2.5:17-76 μg·m-3), six groups of 54 samples were collected using an Andersen cascade impactor from both the indoor and outdoor stations in Beijing and Xinxiang from June to August in 2016. The samples were digested by microwave digestion, and nine heavy metal elements (Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Mn, and Co) in the atmospheric particles were determined with an inductively coupled plasma source mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The results showed that the enrichment index (0-3) of most elements were low in both cities except for Cd[15.0 (Beijing) and 8.47 (Xinxiang)]. Cr, Co, Cu, and Mn in the atmospheric particles from Beijing park, Cd, Pb, and Mn in the atmospheric particles from the Beijing office, Cr, Co, Ni, and As in the atmospheric particles from Xinxiang park, and all nine heavy metal elements in the atmospheric particles from roads in both cities were found to be more concentrated in the coarse fractions; however, Pb, Zn, Cd, Ni, and As in the atmospheric particles from Beijing park, Co, Zn, Ni, Cr, As, and Cu in the atmospheric particles from the Beijing office, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, and Mn in the atmospheric particles from Xinxiang park, and all nine metal elements in the atmospheric particles from the Beijing office showed the opposite pattern. The result of a human health risk assessment indicated that the carcinogenic risk of the five carcinogenic elements were all less than 10-4, but a lower potential cancer risk would also occur under long term exposure. For the four non-carcinogenic elements (Pb, Zn, Mn, and Cu), the non-carcinogenic health risk values of Pb, Zn, Mn, and Cu in the atmospheric particulates in Beijing were all far less than 1, which means the corresponding non-carcinogenic risk was negligible; and, except for Mn, there was no obvious non-carcinogenic risk from Pb, Zn, and Cu in the atmospheric particles of Xinxiang.