Risks of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in road soils and noise barrier dust from the linear emission in Żagań, Poland

Potentially toxic elements in soil and road dust around Sonbhadra industrial region, Uttar Pradesh, India: Source apportionment and health risk assessment

Street dust samples were collected from 31 sampling sites which were classified into four different groups in Zawiya, Libya, covering different traffic, city center, junkyards, oil refinery, farming, and household activities. Since the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in street dust have a non-negligible impact on health, the aim of this study is to investigate the sources, pollution level and human health risk of PTEs. In this study, wavelength distribution X-ray fluorescence device was used to determine the concentration of PTEs. The spatial distribution, contamination levels, sources, and human health risks of PTEs in road dust were evaluated. The PTEs content of the street dust were found as Cr>Mn>Zn>Pb>Cu>Ni>Co. The average concentration of most PTEs (Co, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn) was higher in junkyards and heavily traffic areas than in other areas. Cobalt and Cu has the highest geo accumulation index (Igeo) values, and due to these values, the study area was evaluated as moderately to heavily contaminated. Enrichment factor (EF) values of Cr, Pb and Zn exhibited a significant enrichment, indicating that some sampling sites were affected by anthropogenic sources. There was no lifetime cancer risk for exposure to PTEs in street dust by inhalation in Zawiya. Each hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) for all PTEs were less than 1, indicating that exposure to PTEs in street dust did not have significant non-carcinogenic risks for both adults and children. In conclusion, Zn, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Cr were represented by the largest portion of the total data variance in the principal component analysis (PCA), and they were positively correlated. It was seen that study area was influenced by anthropogenic sources rather than natural sources, but there was no health risk.

Spatial distribution and sources of potentially toxic elements in road dust and its PM10 fraction of Moscow megacity

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (Ba, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, As, Co) were determined in the road dusts of a coal mining area (Dhanbad, India) to assess their content and potential human health risks. Dust samples were collected from sign boards of the heavy traffic road connecting Dhanbad and Sindri. The total PAHs (∑PAHs, all values in mg/kg) content in the road dust samples varied from 3.98 to 13.1, with carcinogenic PAHs content of 14.8-34.4% of the ∑PAHs. Phenanthrene (2.72), fluorene (0.715) and pyrene (0.575) are the major PAHs. Principal component analysis revealed that these PAHs are probably originated from pyrogenic (coal combustion and traffic emission) and petrogenic (coal dust, tyre and road particles) sources. Among the PTEs, the mean content was higher for Ba (293mg/kg) followed by Zn (224), Pb (128), Cu (52.6), Cr (45.2), Ni (22.0), As (17.5) and Co (8.11). The overall pollution load index varied from 0.43 to 1.0. Source analysis showed that PTEs in the road dust of the study site were derived from traffic emission (Zn, Fe, Mn, Co and Pb), coal dust (Cr, As and Ni) and soil (K, Mg, Ba, Sr and Ca). In general, the PTEs are lower, but the PAHs contents were elevated in the road dust samples. Although the exposure risks from PTEs are low, the risk to children (expressed as hazardous quotient) for As and Pb is near to the permissible limit of 1.0. Cancer risk from PAHs for adult (4.8 × 10-6) and child (5.3 × 10-6) has exceeded the acceptable limit of 10-6.

This study investigates the occurrence and spatial distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (Hg, Cd, Cu, Mo, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Cr, Al, Fe, Mn, V and Sb) in 67 road dust samples collected from urban industrial areas in Ahvaz megacity, southwest of Iran. Geochemical methods, multivariate statistics, geostatistics and health risk assessment model were adopted to study the spatial pollution pattern and to identify the priority pollutants, regions of concern and sources of the studied PTEs. Also, receptor positive matrix factorization model was employed to assess pollution sources. Compared to the local background, the median enrichment factor values revealed the following order: Sb>Pb>Hg>Zn>Cu>V>Fe>Mo>Cd>Mn>Cr≈Co≈Al≈Ni. Statistical results show that a significant difference exists between concentrations of Mo, Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Sb, V and Hg in different regions (univariate analysis, Kruskal-Wallis test p<0.05), indicating the existence of highly contaminated spots. Integrated source identification coupled with positive matrix factorization model revealed that traffic-related emissions (43.5%) and steel industries (26.4%) were first two sources of PTEs in road dust, followed by natural sources (22.6%) and pipe and oil processing companies (7.5%). The arithmetic mean of pollution load index (PLI) values for high traffic sector (1.92) is greater than industrial (1.80) and residential areas (1.25). Also, the results show that ecological risk values for Hg and Pb in 41.8 and 9% of total dust samples are higher than 80, indicating their considerable or higher potential ecological risk. The health risk assessment model showed that ingestion of dust particles contributed more than 83% of the overall non-carcinogenic risk. For both residential and industrial scenarios, Hg and Pb had the highest risk values, whereas Mo has the lowest value.

Fine road dust is a major source of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) pollution in urban environments, which adversely affects the atmospheric environment and public health. Two different sizes (10–63 and <10 μm) were separated from road dust collected from Apia City, Samoa, and 10 PTEs were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Fine road dust (<10 μm) had 1.2–2.3 times higher levels of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), antimony (Sb), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) than 10–63 μm particles. The enrichment factor (EF) value of Sb was the highest among PTEs, and reflected significant contamination. Cu, Zn, and Pb in road dust were also present at moderate to significant levels. Chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), and nickel (Ni) in road dust were mainly of natural origins, while Cu, Zn, Sb, and Pb were due to traffic activity. The levels of PTEs in road dust in Samoa are lower than in highly urbanized cities, and the exposure of residents in Samoa to PTEs in road dust does not pose a noncarcinogenic health risk. Further studies of the effects of PTEs contamination in road dust on the atmosphere and living organisms are needed.

Pollution, source apportionment and health risk of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban street dust of Mashhad, the second largest city of Iran

Concentrations, spatial distribution, sources and environmental health risks of potentially toxic elements in urban road dust across China

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) pose a significant threat to the groundwater system and human health. Pollution and the potential risks of PTEs in groundwater in the Kǒnqi River Basin (KRB) of the northwest arid zones of China are still unknown. A total of 53 groundwater samples containing eight PTEs (Al, As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, Se, and Zn) were collected from the KRB, and the pollution levels and probabilistic health risks caused by PTEs were assessed based on the Nemerow Index (NI) method and the health risk assessment model. The results revealed that the mean contents of Al, As, and Mn in the groundwater surpassed the Class III threshold of the Standard for Groundwater Quality of China. The overall pollution levels of the investigated PTEs in the groundwater fall into the moderate pollution level. The spatial distributions of contents and pollution levels of different PTEs in the groundwater were different. Health risk assessment indicated that all the investigated PTEs in groundwater in the KRB may pose a probabilistic non-carcinogenic health risk for both adults and children. Moreover, As may pose a non-carcinogenic health risk, whereas the non-carcinogenic health risk posed by the other seven PTEs in groundwater will not have the non-carcinogenic risks. Furthermore, As falls into the low carcinogenic risk level, whereas Cd falls into the very low carcinogenic risk level. Overall, As was confirmed as the dominant pollution factor and health risk factor of groundwater in the KRB. Results of this study provide the scientific basis needed for the prevention and control of PTE pollution in groundwater.

Comprehensive analysis and risk assessment of fine road dust in Abbottabad city (Pakistan) with heavy traffic for potentially toxic elements

This present study aims to evaluate the concentration, spatial distribution, source apportionment, and health risks of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in roadside dust from the Durgapur Industrial Area (DIA), an intensively industrialized, urbanized, and mineral-rich belt located in eastern India. The study investigated pollutant exposure pathways and identified health risks associated with vulnerable population groups like children. Dust samples (n = 42) were collected using the coning and quartering method and analyzed for PTEs (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Co, As, Cd, Cr). The mean concentrations of PTEs were observed in the following order: Fe > Mn > Cr > Zn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Co > As > Cd. The dominant PTEs were Fe (11,246mg/kg), Mn (1,145mg/kg), Zn (425mg/kg), and Cr (191mg/kg). Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and enrichment factor (EF) analyses revealed significant enrichment of Cd, Cr, and As. Contamination and pollution indices (Contamination Factor, Pollution Load Index, Nemerow Pollution Index) confirmed a substantial overall pollution load, primarily influenced by Cd, Cr, As, Mn, Zn, and Pb. Morphological analysis under Scanning Electron Microscopy showed that the dust particles exhibited diverse shapes and structures, such as oval, nutshell-like, and small crystalline forms, as examined. Statistical analyses, including Pearson correlation, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, were employed to identify potential sources. Pearson correlation showed strong associations among PTE pairs-As-Zn-Pb, Pb-Zn, Cr-Fe, and Ni-Cu-(p ≤ 0.05), indicating common anthropogenic sources including traffic emissions, coal combustion, and industrial processes. PCA identified industrial emissions and vehicular sources as dominant contributors. Health risk analysis showed ingestion as the main exposure route, with hazard indices (HI) for children reaching 1.52 (Cr) and 1.12 (Mn), exceeding the safe limit (HI > 1). Total carcinogenic risk (TCR) for children ranged from 2.47 × 10⁻⁸ to 1.87 × 10⁻4, with As and Pb as major contributors.

The purpose of this study was to determine the concentration, sources of pollution and health risks associated with 16 potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in 120 urban road dust samples in the city environ of Lagos, southwest, Nigeria. For all road dust samples, Zn, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd and Pb were higher than background values as defined by Upper Continental Crust (UCC) values, whilst 50, 96, 3, 20, 20, 5 and 5% of the samples showed higher values for U, Cu, V, As, Cr, Ti and Fe, respectively. The spatial distribution maps showed that pollution hotspots for Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Se, Ag, Cd and Mo were concentrated in densely populated areas with a high volume of traffic and industrial areas such Ikeja, Ojo, Alimosho and Kosofe regions. Ninety five percent of the samples provided a Pollution Load Index (PLI) greater than 1, indicating the presence of pollution inputs. The calculated Contamination Degree (CD) was between 10–174 for PTE’s with an average of 58, exhibiting a moderate to very high degree of contamination. The potential ecological risk index (RI) ranged from 39 to 3496, with a mean value of 678 where 7% of the samples provided a low ecological risk index, 5% a moderate risk, 34% and 38% a considerable and very high ecological risk. The non-carcinogenic health risk index showed that Mo, Pb and Co accounted for 87% of the Heath risk index value for both children and adults with a low to moderate exposure risk following the order: dermal > ingestion > inhalation. The carcinogenic risk showed that Ni posed no carcinogenic risk in the dust, Co and As were within low risk, Pb and Cd posed a low and moderate carcinogenic risk to both children and adults in the study area. Road dusts from industrial and densely populated residential areas with high traffic influx exhibited a higher pollution and health risk index compared to less densely populated residential areas in Lagos. This confirmed vehicular traffic as the main source of the PTEs in the dust samples of the study area.

A hybrid approach for assessing source-oriented health risk and evaluating mitigation measures of potential toxic elements in road dust from mining areas.

Contamination levels, health risks and source apportionment of potentially toxic elements in road dusts of a densely populated African City

ABSTRACTBackgroundExtra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) are widely consumed but rarely analysed for potentially toxic elements (PTEs), whose concentrations in EVOOs can be significantly influenced by contamination in olive grove soils. As food consumption is the main PTE accumulation pathway in humans, thorough investigation on EVOOs is necessary.AimThe concentrations of 12 PTEs were determined in olive grove soils and EVOOs from Valdichiana Senese (Southern Tuscany, Italy), with the aim of identifying any contamination by PTEs in olive grove soils and evaluating the associated ecological risk as well as of assessing the potential risk for human health related to PTE intake from EVOO consumption.MethodsThe soil and EVOO samples were collected from 18 farms, and the concentration of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, U, V and Zn was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). The data were used to calculate the health risk index (HRI) for EVOOs and the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and potential ecological risk index (PERI) for soils.ResultsAnalytical data suggested that the PTE concentrations in the investigated olive grove soils are natural as comparable to their normal geochemical background in soils from Southern Tuscany formed from the same parent rocks of Valdichiana Senese soils or due to local geogenic enrichments in some parent rocks. Among the analysed PTEs in the EVOO samples, Zn, Cu and Ni had the highest concentrations, followed by Cr and Pb. Most PTEs showed a high variability of their concentrations in EVOOs from Valdichiana Senese.ConclusionOn the basis of values of indices applied to PTE concentrations in the soil samples, a low‐to‐moderate Cu contamination emerged only in the olive grove soils of two farms, probably as a consequence of the diffuse use of Cu‐based products in agriculture, and overall, the ecological risk was low. Furthermore, although EVOOs from Valdichiana Senese have somewhat slightly high concentrations of some PTEs such as Cu and Zn, the health risk associated with their intake through the EVOO consumption is definitely negligible.