Spatial distribution of trace elements (As, Cd, Ni, Pb) from PM10 aerosols and human health impact assessment in an Eastern European country, Romania

Katalin Bodor,Róbert Szép,Zsolt Bodor

doi:10.1007/s10661-021-08931-4

Abstract

In the present study, the concentrations of trace elements in PM10 were determined and analyzed at 115 monitoring stations in Romania throughout the period 2009–2018. The spatiotemporal distribution of trace element concentrations of PM10, the source apportionment and health impact assessment, was carried out. The results showed a very high multi-annual mean concentration for PM10 and trace elements as well. The multiannual average concentration of PM10 was higher by 29.75% than the World Health Organization recommendation. All studied air pollutants showed a decreasing trend during the studied years, showing with 17.84%, 50.21%, 43.36%, 11.27%, and 72.09% lower values for PM10, As-, Cd-, Ni-, and Pb-, respectively, due to environmental regulations. To assess the human health impact, the hazard quotient (HQ) and cancer risk (CR) were calculated using the health risk model developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Cd and Ni might present a non-carcinogenic risk to both adults and children; however, the hazard quotient values are higher than the safe limit, with 9.53 and 1.93, respectively. In addition, our study results revealed that the inhalation of As, Cd and the dermal absorption of all studied trace elements were considered as the most important risk factors for developing cancer, especially in case of adults.

Highlights

Atmospheric pollution is a growing issue worldwide, adversely affecting both the human health and the ecosystem as well (Castillo et al, 2017; Keresztesi et al, 2018; Szép et al, 2018)
In particulate matter, the highest concentration was recorded in the case of Pb, while the lowest concentration was found in the case of Cd
The results revealed that the highest concentrations of trace elements were identified in Sibiu county, exhibiting 1.69 ng m−3, 2.32 ng m−3, 5.19 ng m−3, 0.292 ng m−3 for As, Cd, Ni, and Pb, respectively, which were mainly originated from one of the most polluted regions (Copșa Mică), while the highest particulate matter (PM10) concentration was in Iași county 33.61 μg m−3

Summary

Introduction

Atmospheric pollution is a growing issue worldwide, adversely affecting both the human health and the ecosystem as well (Castillo et al, 2017; Keresztesi et al, 2018; Szép et al, 2018). Many epidemiological studies argue that particulate matter (PM) has become a decisive parameter of air pollution (Jena & Singh, 2017) and can play an essential role in the chemical composition of precipitation (Keresztesi et al, 2020b, 2019). Particulate matter originated from traffic emission is often potentially enriched with toxic trace elements such as As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Ni (Hao et al, 2018). When the trace element concentration exceeds the critical threshold, it may have a potentially toxic effect on human health and the ecosystem (Jena & Singh, 2017). The limit value for the protection of human health imposed by Romanian Law 104/2011 is 40 μg m−3 (Law 104/2011, 2011). The high concentration or extreme exposure of Pb can cause severe neurological and hematological disorders on the exposed population, mainly children, while Cd disrupts the normal function of the kidneys

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Conclusion