Tropospheric ozone in Tehran: integrated assessment of inhalation health risk over the last decade

The consequence of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks of the heavy metal concentrations in street dust of North Cyprus is yet to be reported. This study is aimed at investigating the concentration of six different heavy metals' concentration explicitly: As, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, and Pb, along leading highways in Nicosia. The result obtained was analyzed using an X-ray fluorescent machine. Multivariate and statistical methods were applied for the data analysis using xlstat MS-excel; furthermore, index of geo-accumulation (Igeo) and human health risk assessment using exposure pathways as defined by United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) pollution mode were also used for level assessment and health risk implications. The average (M ± SD) concentrations of the metals in the dust are as follows: As (17.48 ± 1.53 mg/kg), Cu (51.86 ± 8.60 mg/kg), Cr (321.14 ± 8.20 mg/kg), Pb (35.62 ± 8.54 mg/kg), Ni (64.79 ± 8.72 mg/kg), and Zn (136.13 ± 30.85 mg/kg). Variation coefficient, Vc, and principle component analysis (PCA) suggested that As, Cr, Ni, and Pb have same source of pollution emission from both natural and anthropogenic activities, Zn from traffic emission while Cu from natural source. However, the result was compared with other nearby towns bordering North Cyprus; all the metal shows similar pattern of pollution with the exception of Cr which is 5 and 11 times higher than street dust of Amman (Jordan) and Tokat (Turkey), respectively. Additionally, Igeo result has the following decreasing order: Zn > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cu > As and also revealed that the As, Cu, and Ni have originated from natural source. Cr has mix source: one from traffic and the other one from atmospheric deposition. Also, Pb is emitted from industrial pollution, whereas 80% of Zn are from traffic-related emissions. The non-carcinogenic health risk (hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI)) follows the order Cr > As>Ni > Pb > Zn > Cu for children and adults. It is found that the HI of As, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn is less one; hence, the street dust does not exhibit non-carcinogenic health risk. But that of Cr content is greater than one, with HI values of Cr 1.44E+02 and 1.55E+01 for children and adults, respectively. The result for carcinogenic health risk (total cancer risk(TCR)) has the following order: Pb (1.42E-05) > Cr (4.81E-09) > (Ni 1.35E-09) > As (1.96E-10). With all the values less than threshed hole limit of TCR ≥ 10-4, street dust does not possess carcinogenic health risk for the entire values of six heavy metals considered in this work.

The concentrations of metals in the groundwater were assessed on a seasonal basis to evaluate the possible risk on the local populace via the drinking water pathway in the mica mining areas of Jharkhand in India. Significant temporal variations were observed in the concentration of metals with the highest values being in the post-monsoon season. Spatial variations were also illustrated with higher metals observed in the areas with mining and vehicular activities. Al, Fe and Mn were the metals of major concern, which surpassed the drinking water quality standards at many locations. Considering all the seasons, Al, Fe and Mn exceeded the standards in 72%, 47% and 33% of samples, respectively. The metal concentrations in groundwater of the area can be ascribed to both natural sources and human activities as is depicted from principal component analysis, which resulted in extraction of four factors explaining 66.6% of data variance. For the evaluation of the non-carcinogenic human health risk, Hazard Quotients (HQ) and Hazard index (HI) were calculated as per United States Environmental Protection Agency methodology. Taking into account the geometric mean of the metal concentration in the groundwater, the hazard quotients did not exceed unity for any metal in any season advocating that the metals individually did not pose risk to the consumers of the groundwater. However, the cumulative risk of all the considered the metals as depicted by the Hazard Index suggests appreciable risk to the child population in the pre-monsoon (HI = 1.17) and post monsoon (HI = 1.18) seasons. The health risk assessment identified the child population being more vulnerable to non-carcinogenic risk as compared to the adults. Also, the risk was highest during the post-monsoon season as weighed against the other two seasons. Location-wise HI suggests the groundwater being unfit for drinking in more than 50% of the locations.

The present paper concerns the patterns of heavy metals (As, Hg, Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn, Cr, and Cu) in surface soil of residential areas located on derelict brownfields in a city in China and the health risks to the residents. Forty-one surface soil samples were collected from 9 housing units built on different brownfields in a city of Henan Province in China, and the concentrations of heavy metals were measured. Based on the health risk models recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks of soil heavy metals were assessed. Compared with the original brownfields, soil heavy metal contents and their health risks in housing units built on brownfields have significantly decreased. The contents and health risks of heavy metals in these housing units are all higher than those in non-brownfield housing units. The result of health risk assessment indicates that there are no non-carcinogenic risks and slight carcinogenic risks for the residents in these housing units. The contribution of hazard quotient caused by arsenic (HQ As) to hazard index (HI) is approximately 53%, and the contribution of cancer risk caused by arsenic (CR AS) to total carcinogenic risk (TCR) is approximately 80%. The obtained results have confirmed the environmental effects of brownfields and that soil remediation is an essential step for the redevelopment of brownfields. Arsenic is the crucial heavy metal for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk in the housing units of the city, and the highest levels of non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks are associated with the route of ingestion of soil for all heavy metals.

In the present study, the concentration and accumulation abilities of five heavy metals (Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr) in rice were assessed and their human health risk to local citizens had been evaluated. Soil and rice samples (125 samples) were collected from Guiyang (GY), Qiannan (QN), Bijie (BJ), Tongren (TR), and Zunyi (ZY) in Guizhou Province. Heavy metals were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after microwave digestion. The mean concentrations of Cd, Hg, As, Pb, and Cr were 0.58, 0.65, 12.31, 38.70, and 87.30mg/kg in soil and were 0.05, 0.005, 0.11, 0.07, and 0.34mg/kg in rice, respectively. The bioconcentration factors (BCF) decreased with the order Cd > Hg > As > Cr > Pb. Non-carcinogenic risk in this study was evaluated using the method of the hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI). The mean HQ values for Cd, Hg, Pb, and Cr were all lower than the standard limit (1.0) for children and adults, except As with the mean HQ for children of 2.79. The mean HI values for children and adults were 4.22 and 1.42, which exceeded 1.0. The mean carcinogenic risk (CR) values of As and Pb for children and adults were higher than the upper limit of the acceptable range (1 × 10-4) established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). In a conclusion, the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks induced by heavy metals for children were higher than thatfor adults. This study revealed that consumption of rice in study areas may pose potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to humans, and As was the largest contributor.

Risk characterization of human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in vulnerable groups

To compare the human health risk of heavy metals and As in sewage sludge between adults and children, samples were collected from five wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in the urban district of Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi. Heavy metals and As in sewage sludge can be ranked according to the mean concentration in the following order: Cu > Cr > Zn > Pb > As > Hg > Cd. Compared with the concentration limit set by different countries, the heavy metals contents in sewage sludge were all within the standard limits, except for the content of As, which was higher than the threshold limit established by Canada. A health risk assessment recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) was used to compare the non-cancer risk and cancer risk between adults and children. Based on the mean and 95% upper confidence limit (UCL) of the average daily dose (ADD), heavy metals and As can be ranked in the order of Cu > Cr > Zn > Pb > As > Hg > Cd for adults, and Cu > Cr > Zn > Pb > Hg > As > Cd for children. Moreover, results of ADDingest and ADDinhale indicated that ingestion was the main pathway for heavy metals and As exposure for both adults and children, and the sum of ADD implied that the exposure to all heavy metals and As for children was 8.65 and 9.93 times higher, respectively, than that for adults according to the mean and 95% UCL. For the non-carcinogenic risk, according to the hazard quotient (HQ), the risk of Cu, Hg and Cr was higher than the risk of Zn and Pb. The hazard index (HI) for adults was 0.144 and 0.208 for the mean and 95% UCL, which was less than the limit value of 1; for children, the HI was 1.26 and 2.25, which is higher than the limit value of 1. This result indicated that children had non-carcinogenic risk, but adults did not. Furthermore, ingestion was the main pathway for non-carcinogenic risk exposure by the HQingest and HQinhale. For the carcinogenic risk, Cd and As were classified as carcinogenic pollutants. The values of RISK for the mean and 95% UCL for adults and children all exceeded the limit value of 1 × 10−5, which implied that adults and children had a carcinogenic risk, and this risk was higher for children than for adults. The results of RISK for As and Cd implied that As was the main pollutant for carcinogenic risk. Moreover, the results of RISKingest and RISKinhale indicated that ingestion was the main pathway. Uncertainty analysis was performed, and the risk ranges of it were greater than certainty analysis, which implied that uncertainty analysis was more conservative than certainty analysis. A comparison of the non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic risk for adults and children indicated that children were more sensitive and vulnerable than adults when exposed to the same pollutant in the environment.

Background: Evaluation of the phytochemicals and heavy metals contained in four commonly consumed beverage and herbal products in Nigeria, was investigated. This was to ascertain the health benefits as well as potential for toxicity that may be associated with the consumption of these products. Methods: The samples studied are Fura da Nono, Ciklavit®, Katoka Mixtures® and Yoyo Bitters®. The phytochemical screening of each product was done using standard procedures. The heavy metals screening was done using Agilent®720 Inductively Coupled Plasma -Optical Emission Spectroscopy machine (ICP-OES). The Hazard quotient and Index were assessed using appropriate equations in line with United States Environmental ProtectionAgency (USEPA). Results: All phytochemicals tested were found in Fura da Nono except Steroids and Terpenoids.Also, all the tested phytochemicals were detected in Ciklavit® except Alkaloids and Phlobatannins. Both Katoka Mixtures® and Yoyo Bitters® contained all other phytochemicals except Phlobatannins. Quantitatively, Fura da Nono was high in Cardiac glycosides, and Ciklavit® was found to be high in Flavonoid content. Both Katoka Mixtures® and Yoyo Bitters® are high in Phenols. The results of the heavy metal analysis revealed different concentrations (ppm) of arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium, zinc, manganese, copper and nickel in the four products. Arsenic was not detected only in Fura da Nono. The heavy metal concentrations obtained were all within WHO maximum permissible limits. Further analysis for potential non-carcinogenic health risk using Hazard quotient on each of the four toxic heavy metals (arsenic, mercury, lead and cadmium) and Hazard Index (HI) on the same toxic heavy metals revealed that by the United States Environmental ProtectionAgency (USEPA) threshold value of HI ≤1, Yoyo Bitters® (0.4684) and Ciklavit® (0.7870) had the lower and safer values for combined heavy metal risk while Katoka Mixtures® (0.9908) and Fura da Nono (1.4144) had the highest. Conclusion: The phytochemical screening of the investigated products showed that the commonly consumed food drink and herbal products, are rich in phytochemicals. Even though the heavy metal screening indicates a fairly positive safety margin for three of the products. Caution should therefore be exercised in the use of these products.

Groundwater quality was investigated for fluoride and nitrate contamination in the mica mining areas of Jharkhand with special emphasis on seasonal fluctuation, source apportionment and human health risk assessment. Samples were collected from thirty-seven locations on a seasonal basis. The results indicated 31% and 32% samples of groundwater to exceed the Indian drinking water quality standards for F– and NO3 –, respectively. Marked seasonal variation was observed in the concentration of NO3 – with highest levels in monsoon season; however, the seasonal fluctuation was insignificant for F–. The NO3 – contamination can be attributed to agricultural activities while F– can be related to geogenic sources. For the evaluation of non-carcinogenic risk, Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Hazard Indices (HI) were calculated as per United States Environmental Protection Agency methodology. The results suggested the child population to be most vulnerable to health risks due to ingestion of F– and NO3 –. The HI values for men (0.34–18.4), women (0.29–15.8) and children (0.55–29.3) suggested considerable health risk related to F– and NO3 – to all the population groups. As high as 95% of the groundwater samples were likely to cause non cancer health effects in the child populace advocating upgraded water management plan for the residents.

This paper presents the groundwater quality assessment of the upper Brahmaputra floodplains of Assam on a seasonal basis. A total of 88 samples were analyzed for the presence of potentially toxic elements in two seasons. In addition, an attempt is made to identify any possible associated health risks to the residents via the drinking water pathway. The study reveals the presence of various potentially toxic elements, in particular, manganese, iron, nickel, and fluoride concentration exceeding the drinking water specifications set by BIS and WHO drinking water standards. The degree of groundwater contamination was assessed using the Water Quality Index, Heavy metal Pollution Index, Heavy metal Evaluation Index, and Degree of Contamination. The spatial distribution maps of groundwater quality were prepared using geographical information system. The non-carcinogenic health risk was evaluated using hazard quotients and hazard index as per the United States Environmental Protection Agency methodology. The hazard quotient of fluoride and manganese have values > 1, which exceeds USEPA recommended benchmark. The health risk assessment identified that the risk was highest during the pre-monsoon season, and the child population is more vulnerable to non-carcinogenic risk than the adults. Findings of cancer risk identified that pre-monsoon groundwater samples from the Golaghat District pose the highest health risks in the upper Brahmaputra floodplains. The risk is highest in the southwest of the study area, followed by the south and then by the north.

Mother's breast milk is a natural and complete food for infants but can be a main source of exposure to toxic pollutants. These pollutants can negatively affect the health of the infant. Therefore, conducting biomonitoring surveys is essential to evaluate such health effects in toxicological research. This study aimed to estimate the probable health risks for infants exposed to essential and non-essential trace elements through breast milk ingestion. This descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study was performed on 90 breastfeeding mothers referred to the health centers in Mashhad, Iran in January 2021. The health risk assessments (carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk) were estimated using chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and lifetime carcinogenic risk (CR), which were recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). The results of the HQ values of trace elements through ingestion exposure for arsenic (90%), copper (90%), zinc (40%), and iron (10%) exceeded the threshold of HQ, and arsenic (66.59%), copper (16.91%), and zinc (9.68%) and iron (4.57%) had the highest contribution to increasing the HI index. The average value of CR was 5. 08 × 10-3. Chromium and iron showed significant relationships (P<0.05) with education level and disease background in this study, and the concentration of chromium, iron, and zinc in the breast milk samples significantly changed during lactation stages (P<0.05). Overall, the risk of carcinogenicity through exposure to breast milk for infants was higher than the safety level of US EPA risk. Therefore, there could be a potential health risk of trace elements, particularly arsenic, copper, and zinc for infants in Mashhad, Iran through the consumption of mothers' breast milk. More efforts are required to control and reduce routes of receiving trace elements in breastfeeding mothers by the competent authorities.

PurposePotentially harmful elements (PHEs) in the soil at gold mining sites can endanger the health and sustainability of the local community. We examined the potential health risks associated with the presence of PHEs (Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Pb, Sb, Se and Ti) in the soils of active, closed/abandoned/former and profile gold mine sites in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachWe collected 102 soil samples from these mine sites, analysed them for their total element contents and calculated the geo-accumulation index, enrichment factor, contamination factor and pollution load index (PLI) (Igeo). We calculated the risks to human health by utilizing the hazard index (HI) and hazard quotient (HQ) for adult males, adult females and children who may ingest contaminated soil particles.FindingsThe average total Cd concentration in the soils was above the global average of 0.2 mg/kg for abandoned (2.86 mg/kg), active (3.93 mg/kg) and profile (4.04 mg/kg) areas. Mercury was detected at elevated concentrations in the soil of active mines (0.92 mg/kg), profiles (0.89 mg/kg) and abandoned mines (0.87 mg/kg). In the active, abandoned and profile soils, titanium concentrations were 14.18, 6.74 and 4.82 mg/kg, respectively, in several folds above the global average of 0.57 mg/kg. The majority of the sites were contaminated with Cd, Hg and Ti based on the calculated PLI values (active = 2.04, abandoned = 1.77 and profile = 2.7). Cadmium, mercury, lead and titanium in mine spoils were found to be correlated with aluminium, iron, manganese, pH, total carbon, clay content and phosphorus in a multivariate analysis using correlation and principal component analysis.Research limitations/implicationsBoth natural and anthropogenic processes contributed to the elevated metal contents in the mining sites, as indicated by the investigation’s results. The children’s hazard index values exceeded the threshold of 1.0, indicating the presence of non-carcinogenic risks.Practical implicationsGreen space technology (e.g. revegetation) may thus be critical for preserving public health and reviving the ecological integrity of the contaminated sites.Originality/valueThis study highlights health risks to local communities in southwest Ghana by investigating the presence of potentially harmful elements in soils from gold mining sites for the first time. It assesses non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks using a methodology recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency for soil-to-human health risk assessment, especially for children. The study highlights how contamination has been found, making green space technology essential for preserving ecological integrity and protecting public health. The inclusion of geospatial distribution mapping of PTEs offers a visual depiction of the spread of contamination at both active and closed mining sites.

Geophagy, the deliberate consumption of earth materials, is a practice widely reported throughout human history; however, its potential health risks are poorly documented in Botswana. This research aimed to characterize geophagic soils based on their geochemical and mineralogical properties and to assess the potential human health risks associated with exposure via multiple pathways. Samples from six geophagic hotspots were analysed for macro elements (K, Ca, Mg, and P), microelements (Cu, Cr, Ni, Fe, Zn), and potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (As, Pb, Cd, Hg). Geochemical ratios from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) were used to compute human health risk indices (HRIs), including carcinogenic risk (CR) and non-carcinogenic risks (hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI)). Mineralogy of the clay-sized fractions indicates the presence of kaolinite, goethite, illite, calcite, and muscovite. The average concentrations of macro elements followed the order: K (1.43%) > Ca (0.88%) > Mg (0.47%) > P (0.012%), while the average contents for microelements were Fe > Cu > Cr > Ni > Zn, and PTEs ranged as follows: Pb > As > Hg > Cd with Pb having a mean concentration of 15.16mgkg-1 and As 1.92mgkg-1 respectively. The HIs of the PTEs for all three exposure pathways are below 1 for both adults and children. Ni, Cr, and As have the highest mean CR values, which fall within the acceptable range of 1.00E-06 to 1.00E-04 for both adults and children for exposure through oral consumption and dermal contact, while the mean CR values for exposure through inhalation are all below 1.00E-06. Thus, exposure to PTEs in the soil is unlikely to pose health risks. Nevertheless, caution is necessary as cumulative exposure from other sources could significantly increase the overall health risk to practitioners.

A human health risk assessment of heavy metal ingestion among consumers of protein powder supplements

In today’s world, given the industrialization of societies and the water scarcity crisis, the issue of water resource protection has gained attention. Among water pollutants, toxic elements are among the most significant. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of assessing the health risk posed by exposure to toxic elements in the drinking water of Kashan, Iran. In this study, 39 water samples were collected from 13 active water reservoirs. The concentrations of toxic elements including arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) were determined using ICP-MS and compared with national and international standards. Ultimately, human health risk assessment was calculated using the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) index, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were evaluated for three age groups—children, teenagers, and adults—using a Monte Carlo simulation-based method with the help of Crystal Ball (Oracle) software. The average concentrations of As, Pb, and Cd in the drinking water reservoirs of Kashan city were 3.94 µg/L, 0.86 µg/L and 0.35 µg/L, respectively. The hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) for all age groups were below the safety limit (HQ < 1). The cumulative excess lifetime carcinogenic risk (ELCR) values for Pb and Cd were below the safety limit; however, for As, the ELCR values in children and teenagers were 1.73 × 10⁻⁴ and 1.59 × 10⁻⁴, respectively, exceeding the permissible limit. This indicates that these two age groups may be at risk in the long term. A sensitivity analysis was conducted and confirmed that there is a potential risk to the health of children. It is recommended that continuous monitoring and risk management be implemented to protect public health, particularly for the age group of children and teenagers. Also, more comprehensive studies in different seasons of the year are recommended.

This study seeks to evaluate the hydrogeochemical characteristics of water in the Tarkwa mining area using the Piper and Chadha plots and to carry out a health risk assessment using the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) health risk assessment model. A total of 39 groundwater sample points were used for this study. Results from the Piper and Chadha diagrams show that the dominant water types in the study area are Ca-HCO3 and Mixed Ca-Mg-Cl water types which indicates that groundwater in the area can be classified as fresh water. The hazard quotient (HQ) value for heavy metals estimated, suggested an acceptable level of noncarcinogenic inimical health risk. In relation to the HQ value, the Hazard Index (HQ) calculated was less than 1 suggesting that inhabitants will not be exposed to a potential health risk for the injection of heavy metals. Carcinogenic risk estimated for As (1.80×10-4) was higher than the acceptable risk. The carcinogenic risk estimated therefore indicated that, drinking of groundwater over a long period will increase the probability of cancer. It can be concluded that currently the groundwater in the Tarkwa area is safe for domestic purposes.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: Hydrochemical Characteristics, Human Risk Assessment, Tarkwa Mining Area