Profiling of seasonal variation in and cancer risk assessment of benzo(a)pyrene and heavy metals in drinking water from Kirkuk city, Iraq.

Awaz Bahrooz Mohammed,Abhrajyoti Tarafdar,Siraj Muhammed Abdulla Goran

doi:10.1007/s11356-021-17314-8

Abstract

Water samples at 13 sites were analyzed to evaluate heavy metals (cobalt, lead, manganese, copper) and benzo(a)pyrene using 2 methods of analysis (high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits). The Lesser Zap River is the main tributary of the Tigris and is used as a main source of drinking water in Kirkuk city through the General Kirkuk project. Risk evaluation for benzo(a)pyrene and lead in water samples was accomplished by Monte Carlo simulation. The highest concentrations of B(a)P were recorded at sites S7 and S5, with levels of 0.192 and 0.122µgL-1 detected by HPLC and ELISA, respectively. The WHO guidelines for benzo[a]pyrene in drinking water recommend 0.7µgL -1, and none of the samples surpassed this level; moreover, B(a)P levels exceeded EPA standards in 2014 (0.01µgL-1), particularly when the liquid-liquid extraction method with HPLC was used. Carcinogenic risks for human adults and children exist and are highest during the rainy season as compared with the carcinogenic risk during the dry season and risks for children exceed those of adults. This indicates that the 2nd round of sampling (winter season) harbors more carcinogenic risk than the 1st round of sampling (dry season).

Highlights

Aquatic pollutants mainly consist of trace elements, fertilizers, microscopic organisms, and toxic organic substances (WHO 2011; Nambatingar et al 2017).Heavy elements are important environmental toxic pollutants, and their toxicity is becoming more of a concern for ecological, evolutionary, nutritional, and environmental reasons (Nagajyoti et al 2010).Water pollution has direct effects on human health, while sewage and industrial effluents exert indirect effects on human health through intake of foods irrigated with contaminated water
The main objective of this study is to provide insight into the profiles of heavy metals and benzo(a)pyrene in drinking water of Kirkuk city and produce a probabilistic cancer risk simulation with respect to human health
B(a)P, a carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) listed as a priority pollutant by the US EPA, was detected and ranged from 0.001 to 0.192 μg L-1 and 0.001 to 0.162 μg L-1 as measured by HPLC and Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) methods, respectively

Summary

Introduction

Aquatic pollutants mainly consist of trace elements, fertilizers, microscopic organisms, and toxic organic substances (WHO 2011; Nambatingar et al 2017). Water pollution has direct effects on human health, while sewage and industrial effluents exert indirect effects on human health through intake of foods irrigated with contaminated water. Health Organization 2011, more than 80% of human diseases have origins in water. Heavy elements can be present in trace amounts in water and are still harmful to humans and other ecosystems, depending on factors such as the organisms exposed to an element, its composition, its biological function, and the length of time the organisms are exposed to the element. Contamination of water by heavy elements affects all organisms, those feeding at the highest level (Lee et al 2002). The presence of heavy elements in drinking water may be related to transferred pipeline incidents

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