Abstract
The pollution state and health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements (PTE) in soil and sediment samples of the petrochemical industry and its surrounding area are evaluated in this study. The pseudo-total contents of Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, Zn, As, Hg, and Se were measured by inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP/OES) in analyzed samples. Instead of determining total content, we performed aqua regia of the samples. The silicate matrix remained, and the quantities of elements that are within the silicate matrix do not represent an environmental danger. The soils from the chlor–alkali plant are highly polluted by Hg (the enrichment factor values were above 6000), and by Cu, Cd, Pb, and Zn, while the sediment samples from the wastewater channel are polluted with Cr, Cd, and Hg. The measured element contents are used for calculating health risk criteria for a composite worker (a worker who is exposed, long-term, during the work day) and for residential people. Hg is the element that mainly contributes to non-carcinogenic risks within the petrochemical area. The highest value of total carcinogenic risk obtained in the sediment sample from the wastewater channel, and the metal that mostly contributes is Cr. The areas closest to the petrochemical industry have higher values of health risk criteria parameters and pollution indices. The areas that are located further to the north and south from the petrochemical industry are less burdened with the analyzed elements, which is significant because the closest city and village are situated in those directions.
Highlights
Toxic elements are some of the most ubiquitous pollutants today
The average value of Hg (35.6 mg kg−1 ± 69.2 mg kg−1 ) in the petrochemical samples is more than ten times above the maximum allowable Hg content in Serbia (Table 1), while the maximum detected values of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were significantly above their permissible concentrations
The enrichment factor (EnF) values of Hg in samples from the electrolysis factory (EF), the mercury disposal area (ZD), and the wastewater channel (K) are significantly higher than 50, which indicates that these samples showed an extremely severe enrichment of mercury pollution
Summary
Toxic elements are some of the most ubiquitous pollutants today. The significant threat that comes from these elements is accumulation in the environment since they are non-biodegradable [1], and two main origins of trace elements, and potentially toxic elements, in soil and sediment samples are natural and anthropogenic. Besides being a significant pollutant of soil and sediments, potentially toxic elements (PTE) can pose a substantial threat to human health. These and the rest of the analyzed PTEs have some toxical, non-carcinogenic effects on human health. The scenario for health risk criteria for adjustable residential exposure (i.e., adjustable by considering the different age groups, children and adults), were calculated. After obtaining these results, the PCA (principal component analysis) and correlation analysis were used to see how the contamination factors are in associatios with the health risk criteria for obtaining an overall picture of the pollution state of the analyzed area
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