Carcinogenic Risk Values Research Articles

Hazard assessment study on organic compounds and heavy metals from using artificial turf

IntroductionArtificial turf or synthetic grass releases hazardous substances such as heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). ObjectiveThe current study aimed to evaluate the concentration levels of hazardous substances that are emitted from artificial turf as a result of sunlight effect; and to assess the expected exposure risks to such emitted substances during various activities.The current study aimed to evaluate the concentration levels of hazardous substances that are emitted from artificial turf as a result of the effect of sunlight. And to assess the expected risks of exposure to these substances emitted during the various activities. Study designVOCs emitted from artificial turf samples were monitored and collected in the ambient air of three football fields, the ambient air around a piece of new artificial turf that has not yet been used on playing fields, but has been exposed to sunlight within one year and in the indoor air around a piece of new artificial turf. Which has not yet been used on the playgrounds and was placed at room temperature and away from sunlight. ResultsThe current study shows that average afternoon morning VOCs levels were 277, 333, 405 and 509 mg/m3 in winter, autumn, spring and summer, respectively. The most predominant PAHs compounds present in the samples were compounds with 3-rings and 4-rings.The average daily intake (ADI) for three exposure routes (ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact) was calculated for different age categories (3–6, 7–15, 16–18, 19–22, 23–55, and 56–70 year). Non-Carcinogenic exposure risk as hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) were detected. ConclusionAll HI values were <1, indicating that there is no potential adverse health effects occur as a result of a chemical exposure. Total carcinogenic risk (R) values for the different age categories were higher than 1E-04 for three football artificial grass fields, which indicated a high cancer risk development probability. HI and R probability increased in the age group of 7–15 year > 3–6 years.

Carcinogenic and human health risk assessment of children's and adults' exposure to toxic metal(oid)s from air PM10 in critical sites of the Republic of Serbia.

With global urbanization and industrialization, air pollution has become an inevitable problem. Among air pollutants, toxic metals bound to particulate matter (PM) have a high hazardous potential, contributing to the development of several diseases, including various types of cancer. Due to PM pollution, Serbia is considered to be among the most polluted countries in Europe. Therefore, the objective of the study was to assess and characterize the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of children's and adults' exposure to metal(oid)s (Pb, Cd, Ni, and As) bound to PM10 in five of the most polluted areas in the Republic of Serbia (Subotica, Smederevo, Bor, Valjevo, and Kraljevo). Non-carcinogenic (HQ and HI) and carcinogenic risk (CR) were calculated using USEPA methodology. Our results show that PM10 concentrations exceeded the annual limit of 40μg/m3 at four out of five monitoring sites (ranging from 44.33 to 63.25μg/m3). Results obtained from Bor monitoring station show that safe limits were exceeded for both children and adults, indicating an unacceptable risk (> 1) obtained for inhalation exposure to the As (HQ = 6.14) and Cd (HQ = 1.17), while total HI was 7.43, which characterized the risk as unacceptable. For the same station, the CR value was 1.44E-04 (> 1 × 10-4). In other sites, the risks were acceptable. The characterized risk from exposure to the toxic elements via PM10 in critical locations in Serbia contributes to improving air quality by requiring regulatory organs to take new actions and adopt new measures to reduce air pollution.

Assessment of trace elements in canned fish and health risk appraisal

Trace elements are dangerous to human health and there is a rising concern about the quality of processed foods in some parts of the world, especially in Iraq.&#x0D; The chemical composition (total sold, moisture, and ash) and concentrations of trace elements in canned fish (Skipjack tuna, Sardines, Tuna fish, Sardines, and Mackerel) from the Kalar market, Iraq were determined by using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer.&#x0D; The ranges obtained for the elements in mg/kg were as follows: Se (0.025–0.77), As (0.02–1.07), B (0.05–0.7), Ag (0.04–0.83), Ba (0.05–0.975), Mg (29.8–37.5), Mn (0.97–2.09), Cu (0.91–3.09), and Zn (5.12–11.7). The studied canned fishes pose no risk with respect to the estimated daily intake of Se, As, B, Ag, Ba, Mg, Mn, Cu, and Zn. The total target hazard quotients for the studied metals from individual fish species (except Fme, Fma, and Fsh) were more than one, which was responsible for noncarcinogenic risks. The target carcinogenic risk value for arsenic was also higher than the standard (10-4) set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.&#x0D; It revealed that the consumption of canned fish causes a chronic cancer risk to humans.

Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessment of exposure to trace elements in groundwater resources of Sari city, Iran.

The daily intake of trace elements through water resources and their adverse health effects is a critical issue. The purpose of this research was to assess the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of exposure to iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As) in groundwater resources of Sari city, Iran. The concentrations of the trace elements in a total number of 66 samples from the groundwater sources were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The hazard index (HI) levels of exposure to the trace elements from the groundwater sources for adults, teenagers, and children were 0.65, 0.83, and 1.08, respectively. The carcinogenic risk values of Cr and As in the groundwater sources for children, teenagers, and adults were 0.0001, 0.00009, 0.00007, 0.0003, 0.0002, and 0.0001, respectively, causing a total carcinogenic risk value higher than the acceptable range, and removing Cr and As from the groundwater resources is recommended for safe community water supply.

Assessing the Hydrochemistry, Groundwater Drinking Quality, and Possible Hazard to Human Health in Shizuishan Area, Northwest China

Groundwater is an important source of drinking water, particularly in arid regions. In this study, a total of 66 groundwater samples were collected from the phreatic aquifer in the Shizuishan area, a traditional irrigation region of Ningxia. The results showed that the TDS values were above the drinking water standards for nearly 50% of the groundwater samples. The ions followed the order of Na+ &gt; Ca2+ &gt; Mg2+ &gt; K+ and SO42− &gt; Cl− &gt; HCO3− in the groundwater. There were four dominant factors in controlling groundwater chemistry based on principal component analysis: the salinity factor, alkalinity factor, carbonate factor, and pollution factor. The high concentration of NH4-N in groundwater was attributed to agricultural activities, but the high NO3-N levels were mainly due to sewage or wastewater. F and As were derived from geogenic sources. Based on the result of the WQI assessment, about 40% of the samples in the central part of the study region showed unacceptable water quality for drinking, which was mainly associated with high NH4-N, TDS, and As concentrations. The total non-carcinogenic risks of drinking the groundwater were 0.05–10.62 for adults and 0.09–20.65 for children, respectively. The order of pollutants in the groundwater in terms of their hazard to residents was: As &gt; F− &gt; NO3-N &gt; NH4-N. The carcinogenic risk values of As through oral ingestion for children and adults were 0–7.37 × 10−4 and 0–1.89 × 10−4, respectively. Chronic exposure by oral ingestion presented as the main source of susceptibility to exposure to groundwater contaminants for children.

Contamination and health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in soils of different kinds of land use in Lithuania

Using the case of five different kinds of land use from different territories of Lithuania, this study assesses the level of contamination and human health risk assessment of arsenic (As), and heavy metals (HMs) such as cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and chromium (Cr) in the surface soil of the study areas. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) analysis indicated that heavy Cd contamination occurred in agricultural territory (AT), while for As, no contamination to mild contamination occurred in all territories. For living territory (LT), green territory (GT) and technical territory (TT), Igeo readings for Cu showed no pollution to moderate pollution, while there was no pollution for natural territory (NT) and AT. For AT, there is no contamination from Zn or Cr. By contrast, Igeo values for Zn and Cu represent minimal to no pollution in the remaining territories. As in LT and Cd in AT, two of the HMs discovered, were deemed to be of medium risk, whereas other components fell into the permitted range. Among three different routes to exposure, it was discovered that the ingestion pathway was the main health risk. The Hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) values for As, Cd, Cu, Zn, and Cr were lower than the suggested limit (HI = 1), indicating minimal non-carcinogenic risk to inhabitants in the study regions. The carcinogenic risk values for As (1.12E-04 children), Cd (2.20E-04 children), and Cr (2.35E-04 children) in AT pose a risk to children’s health when ingested. The GT’s carcinogenic readings for Cr (1.02 E+00 adult), put adults at risk of developing cancer, whereas As (1.89E-04) and Cr (2.28E-04) in LT put children at risk of cancer and for TT, both adults and children were at risk due to Cr’s higher carcinogenic values (1.93E-04 for adults and 5.21E-04 for children).

Climatic CO2 level-driven changes in the bioavailability, accumulation, and health risks of Cd and Pb in paddy soil–rice systems

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and soil heavy metal pollution, which affects safe rice production and soil ecosystem stability, have caused widespread concern. In this study, we evaluated the effects of elevated CO2 on Cd and Pb accumulation in rice plants (Oryza sativa L.), Cd and Pb bioavailability, and soil bacterial communities in Cd–Pb co-contaminated paddy soils via rice pot experiments. We showed that elevated CO2 accelerates the accumulation of Cd and Pb in rice grains by 48.4–75.4% and 20.5–39.1%, respectively. Elevated CO2 levels decreased soil pH value by 0.2 units, which increased Cd and Pb bioavailability in soil but inhibited iron plaque formation on rice roots, ultimately promoting Cd and Pb uptake. 16S rRNA sequencing analysis revealed that elevated CO2 increased the relative abundance of certain soil bacteria (e.g., Acidobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Holophagae, and Burkholderiaceae). A health risk assessment showed that elevated CO2 markedly increased the total carcinogenic risk values for children, adult males, and adult females by 75.3% (P < 0.05), 65.6% (P < 0.05), and 71.1% (P < 0.05), respectively. These results demonstrate the serious performance of elevated CO2 levels in accelerating the bioavailability and accumulation of Cd and Pb in paddy soil–rice ecosystems, with particular risks for future safe rice production.

Consumer health risk assessment from some heavy metal bioaccumulation in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) from lake Koka, Ethiopia

Heavy metal pollution is a serious problem in Ethiopian rift valley lakes, including Lake Koka, as a result of unmanaged industrial waste pollution. However, the bioaccumulation level in common carp (Cyprinus carpio), a commercially important fish species, are unknown. The aim of this research was, therefore, to assess the heavy metal bioaccumulation in edible parts of common carp in Lake Koka and the associated health risks. Three sampling sites were selected randomly for primary data collection. Four heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb and Zn) were analyzed in water and the edible part of the fish using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The mean concentrations of Zn, Cr and Cd in the edible part of fish ranged from 0.07 to 0.36 mg kg−1, Not Detected (ND)-0.24 mg kg−1 and ND-0.03 mg kg−1, respectively. Site 2 had the highest Zn and Cd content, while Site 3 had the highest Cr content. Pb was however not identified. The amount of Cr was above the permissible limit of FAO and the bioaccumulation showed marked differences among the sampling sites (p < 0.05). The concentrations of Cd, Pb and were below the maximum permissible limit. Cr and Zn had the highest and lowest transfer factor values, respectively. The carcinogenic hazard ratio values were below the threshold value (<1). The estimated weekly intake of heavy metals from fish muscles ranked as Cr > Zn > Cd, but the values were lower than the Reference Dose limit (RfDo). The carcinogenic risk value also indicated a low health risk associated with individual metals intake. Furthermore, the hazard index of the edible part of fish was less than unity. Generally, the water quality is not a risk for the survival and reproduction of fish and the heavy metal contents in the edible parts of fish exhibited low carcinogenic risk through the food chain.

Deciphering the source of heavy metals in industrially affected river sediment of Shitalakshya river, Bangladesh, and potential ecological and health implications

Heavy metals (HMs) in sediment samples (Dry and Rainy seasons) of industrially affected rivers were quantified by Energy Disperse X-ray Fluorescence in the Shitalakshya river of Bangladesh. This study assesses the potential health concerns provided by various HMs manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and chromium (Cr). Mean concentration of HMs ranked as Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Pb > As > Cd for both seasons, where almost all the elements were found within the standard limit, except for Cd and As. In the dry season, the concentrations of all HMs were slightly higher than in the rainy season, which can be attributed to the fact that pollutants in rivers may be diluted by rainwater, thus lowering the value. Enrichment factor, geo-accumulation index, contamination factor, and pollution load index indicated a high level of contamination by HMs and moderate levels of ecological risk. The hazard index was < 1 for adults and children in both seasons, revealing no possible non-carcinogenic health risk. Hazard Quotient for individual exposure path can be ranked as ingestion > dermal > inhalation for both seasons, regardless of age group. Carcinogenic risk via the entire three exposure path was ascertained safe for adults and children except for ingestion in children for both seasons. However, total carcinogenic risk value indicated low to medium risk for children in both seasons, while it is within a safe limit for adults. Multivariate statistical analysis indicated possible sources were anthropogenic primarily due to untreated wastes discharge from metal and waste dumping sites, oil and refinery industries, and glass and ceramic industries close to the sampling sites of the Shitalakshya river.

Heavy metal contamination levels, source distribution, and risk assessment in fine sand of urban surface deposited sediments of Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Urban surface deposited sediments (USDS) are unique indicators of local pollution that pose a potential threat to the living environment and human health. Ekaterinburg is a highly populated metropolitan area in Russia with rapid urbanization and industrialization activities. In Ekaterinburg's residential areas, about 35, 12, and 16 samples are represented by green zones, roads, driveways, and sidewalks, respectively. The total concentrations of heavy metals was detected using a chemical analyzer inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Zn, Sn, Sb, and Pb have the highest concentrations in the green zone, while V, Fe, Co, and Cu represent the utmost values on roads. Moreover, Mn and Ni are the prevailing metals in the fine sand fraction of driveways along with sidewalks. Broadly, the high pollution in the studied zones is generated by anthropogenic activities and traffic emissions. The potential ecological risk (RI) was observed in high risk (IR > 600), even though the results of all heavy metals reveal no adverse health effects from the considered noncarcinogenic metal for adults and children by different exposure pathways except the children's exposure to Co in case of the dermal contact, where the HI values of Co for children in the studied zones are higher than the proposed level (> 1). In all urban zones, the total carcinogenic risk (TLCR) values are predicted as a high potential inhalation exposure.

An integrated approach for quantifying source apportionment and source-oriented health risk of heavy metals in soils near an old industrial area

Soil contamination of heavy metals (HMs) caused by the long-term industrial activities has become a major environmental issue due to its adverse effects on human health and ecosystem. In this paper, 50 soil samples were analyzed to evaluate the contamination characteristics, source apportionment and source-oriented health risk of HMs in soils near an old industrial area in NE China by applying an integrated approach of Pearson correlation analysis, Positive matrix factorization (PMF) model and Monte Carlo simulation. The results showed that the mean concentrations of all HMs greatly exceeded the soil background values (SBV), and the surface soils in the study area were heavily polluted with HMs, displaying a very high ecological risk. The toxic HMs emitted from the bullet production were identified as the primary source of HMs contamination in soils, with a contribution rate of 33.3%. The human health risk assessment (HHRA) suggested that the Hazard quotient (HQ) values of all HMs for children and adults are within the acceptable risk level (HQ < 1). The carcinogenic risk (CR) values of HMs for children and adults significantly exceeded the acceptable threshold of 1E-6 with a basic trend: As > Pb > Cr > Co > Ni, indicating a high cancer risk. For source-oriented health risk, the CR of four pollution sources for children and adults shows a same trend: Factor 4 > Factor 3 > Factor 2 > Factor 1. Among those, the source of HMs pollution from bullet production is the largest contributor to cancer risk, and As and Pb are the most important HMs pollutants that cause cancer risk to humans. The present study sheds some light on the contamination characteristics, source apportionment and source-health risk assessment of HMs in industrially contaminated soils, which helps improve the management of environmental risk control, prevention and remediation.

GC-MS Determination of Undeclared Phthalate Esters in Commercial Fragrances: Occurrence, Profiles and Assessment of Carcinogenic and Non-Carcinogenic Risk Associated with Their Consumption among Adult Consumers

Phthalates are chemicals that are extensively used in the manufacturing of cosmetic products. The occurrence of phthalate esters in personal care products may pose adverse effects on consumers' health. In this work, a simple, fast and reliable GC-MS method was developed and validated for concurrent determination of phthalate esters in fragrances. Simple procedures were employed for sample preparation and clean up. The recoveries achieved were in the range of 94.9% to 105.6% with RSD ≤ 4.06. The detection limits were in the range of 0.0010 to 0.0021 µg/mL. The GC-MS method was utilized to investigate the occurrence of phthalate esters in different brands of perfumes sold in the Saudi Arabian market. Diethyl phthalate was detected in all analyzed samples, with a maximum concentration of 5766 µg/mL, and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate was detected in the majority of the analyzed samples (95%), with a mean concentration of 55.9 µg/mL and a highest concentration of 377.7 µg/mL. Additionally, the exposure to phthalate esters due to the consumption of perfumes was investigated among the adult Saudi population for the first time. It was found that the systemic exposure dose, measured at mean concentrations, ranged from 4.59 × 10-4 to 4.29 × 10-2 (mg/kg/day) and from 5.00 × 10-4 to 4.68 × 10-2 (mg/kg/day) for male and female users, respectively. Moreover, the non-carcinogenic risk of the investigated phthalate esters and the carcinogenic risk of DEHP were also evaluated. The non-carcinogenic risk values of the detected phthalate esters were greater than 100, which indicates that exposure to these phthalate esters is unlikely to produce non-carcinogenic health effects to consumers. However, at maximum DEHP concentrations, the carcinogenic risk values were 5.49 × 10-5 for male users and 5.98 × 10-5 for female users, which indicates the possibility of DEHP to pose a carcinogenic health effect if present at high levels. Regular monitoring of undeclared chemicals such as phthalate esters in personal care products marketed in Saudi Arabia is extremely important to ensure consumers' safety. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to assess the health risk associated with consumption of perfumes in Saudi Arabia.

Evaluation of adsorption behaviour of selenium onto zeolite-based composite barrier material for intermediate deep radioactive waste repository

The radionuclide 79Se is a potential radio-ecological concern due to its long half-lives and its capacity to be readily incorporated into the natural life cycle from radioactive waste repositories. This study aimed to reveal the role of barrier materials including zeolite in the transfer of selenium from radioactive waste repository areas to the biosphere. The interaction between selenium (IV) and the barrier material was evaluated by examining different parameters. In the event of an accident that may occur, the environmental and health risks that the 79Se may pose were evaluated within the scope of possible dose values using a Monte Carlo-based simulation program. As a result, it has been determined that the composite barrier material used plays an important role in preventing the transfer of selenium from the waste storage area to the biosphere. Total carcinogenic risk (TCR) values for ingestion way were found from 4.93E-17 to 4.03E-16 for adults, and from 6.30E-22 to 5.16E-21 for infants. TCR values for dermal way are from 5.28E-21 to 4.32E-20 for adults and range from 7.74E-31 to 6.34E-30 for infants.

Contamination of Arable Soil with Toxic Trace Elements (Tes) around Mine Sites and the Assessment of Associated Human Health Risks

ABSTRACT Soil contamination with TEs around mining areas without monitoring and risk assessment has serious human health implications. Soil samples were collected around the Abakaliki Pb-Zn mine sites. Lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), barium (Ba), rubidium (Rb), strontium (Sr) and major oxides were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence technique. Acidity (pH), redox potential (Eh), electrical conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS) were analyzed using pH/conductivity meter. The mean value of pH (6.4) reflects moderately acidic soils, while means of 422, 182 and 295 mg kg− for EC, TDS and Eh, respectively, indicated less conductive soils. Zn obtained the highest mean (42023 mg kg−) and Cr the least (14.8 mg kg−). Silicon (iv) oxide (SiO2) recorded the highest mean of 44.7 mg kg− while chromium oxide (Cr2O3) had the least mean (0.02 mg kg−). Strong positive correlation among Pb, Zn and Mn indicated that they had a common source. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that sources of elements are from weathering of galena and sphalerite deposits. Pb means for contamination factor (Cf), geo accumulation index (Igeo), potential ecological risk (EiR) and potential ecological risk index (IR) are 726, 4.8, 3632 and 4120, respectively. The results show that the soil in the region has reached the heavily extremely contaminated level and very high risk level. Ingestion is the major pathway for non-carcinogenic risk, and children are more vulnerable to carcinogenic risk than adults. Hazard quotient (HQ) and total hazard index (HI) values in few locations showed the possibility of humans contracting cancer. Lifetime average daily dose (LADD) values of carcinogenic risk (9.12 × 10−6, 2.3 × 10−6 and 3.92 × 10−5) exceeded the upper and lower limits of 1 × 10−4 and 1 × 10−6. This study is invaluable in assessing ecological and health risk in agricultural soils around mining areas.

Bioaccumulation and Health Risk Assessment of Metals in Small-Sized Fish (Rhodeus sinensis, Ctenogobius giurinus) and Mussel (Cristaria plicata) from a River Reservoir, Southwest China.

In order to assess the bioaccumulation and health risk of metals in a river reservoir, concentrations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and mercury (Hg) in the water, sediments, two small-sized fish, and a freshwater mussel from the Zhoubai reservoir were examined. The results indicated that all of these metals conform with class one of environmental quality standards for surface water (State Environmental Protection Administration of China, GB 3838-2002). There were no significant differences for total metal concentrations in sediment between the three sampling sites (p > 0.05), but the bioavailable concentrations in S3 were the lowest. The Cd was dominated with exchangeable fraction and showed considerable risk. All metal concentrations except for Pb in Rhodeus sinensis were significantly higher than those in Ctenogobius giurinus (p < 0.05). The metal concentrations in Cristaria plicata showed a similar pattern of bioavailable metals in sediment, indicating that the metal concentrations in aquatic organisms were determined by the bioavailable forms of metals. Negative correlations were observed between the size of fish and concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and As. However, significant positive correlations were found between the size of mussel and concentrations of Cd (p < 0.01), As (p < 0.05), and Hg (p < 0.01). Zn had the highest BCF values in fish and mussel. The aquatic organisms showed lower ability of metal bioaccumulation from the sediment. Low values of target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), and carcinogenic risk (CR) indicated that these metals do not pose a health risk to public through fish and mussel consumption in this study area.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Water from the Fuhe River, South China

With rapid developments in society and economy, the concentrations of heavy metals in surface water in South China have increased significantly, which poses a serious threat to the regional water security. In this study, the Fuhe River watershed in South China was selected as the study area to analyze physicochemical characteristics and heavy metal (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Cr) concentrations in river water in the dry and rainy seasons, in 2019, with the purpose of exploring their spatial–temporal variations and main influences and assessing the potential health risks of heavy metals. The pH value of river water varied from 5.82 to 7.97, and it fluctuated less overall in the dry season, but it oscillated greatly in the rainy season and was lower, especially in the lower reach of the Fuhe River. The electrical conductivity (EC) value changed between 33 μS/cm and 128 μS/cm and increased and fluctuated along the river flow in the two periods. The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn in river water showed obvious differences between the two periods. The concentrations of Cd and Cu were lower with the ranges from 0.001 μg/L to 0.67 μg/L and from 1 μg/L to 12 μg/L, respectively, in the dry season than in the rainy season, while there were inverse cases for other heavy metals. Along the river flow, the Cr concentration was stable, whereas other heavy metals showed increasing trends. It was noted that the concentrations of heavy metals in the Fuhe River were, on average, lower than the Chinese drinking standard values, with the concentration of Pb in the dry season significantly higher than the drinking standard value of the World Health Organization (WHO). Principal component analysis and correlation analysis showed that rock weathering and anthropogenic inputs were the main controlling factors of Cu and Zn in the Fuhe River, and human activities were mainly responsible for Pb, Cr, and Cd concentrations. The health risk assessment results showed that the non-carcinogenic risk (HQingestion) value of Pb was greater than 1 in most sampling points in the middle and lower reaches in the dry season, suggesting a significant non-carcinogenic risk for adults and children by direct ingestion. The minimum carcinogenic risk (CRingestion) value of Cr was more than 10−4 in the rainy and dry seasons, and the CRingestion value of Cd in some sampling points was more than 10−4 in the rainy season, indicating significant cancer risks to adults and children. For areas with significant pollution and health risks in the Fuhe River watershed, it is urgent to strengthen the controls of industrial, agricultural, and urban wastewater discharge.

Toxic metals and aflatoxins occurrence in smoked-dried fish and their health risks assessment

This study investigated the microbiological and toxic heavy metals contamination in smoked-dried fish, and evaluates their health risk implications. Fifteen widely consumed fish species were sampled randomly, and their aflatoxins, mercury “Hg,” cadmium “Cd” and lead “Pb” concentrations were evaluated though standard guidelines. The results revealed that fish flesh Hg level ranged from 0.085–0.258 mg/kg, Cd concentration ranged from 0.092–0.204 mg/kg, and Pb level varied from 0.173–0.329 mg/kg; the mean toxic metals level in the freshwater fish tissue was lower, when compared to the levels in the saltwater fish (seafood). Regarding toxic metal toxicity, the average Hg, Cd and Pb estimated daily intake values for children and adult were 0.1200 and 1.63 × 10−5 mg/kg bw/day, 2.13 × 10−4 and 7.57 × 10−5 mg/kg bw/day, and 2.48 × 10−4 and 1.24 × 10−4 mg/kg bw/day respectively. Likewise, children targeted hazard quotients (THQ) values were Hg (0.585), Cd (0.151) and Pb (0.071), while adult THQ values were Hg (0.293), Cd (0.076) and Pb (0.035). Children and adult hazard index (HI) values were 0.949 and 0.404 respectively; while Carcinogenic Risk (CR) values indicated that Cd had higher chances of cancer risks when compared to Pb. Additionally, the aflatoxins level in the fish species ranged from 0.564–9.422 ppb, with the seafood having lower aflatoxins level when compared to the freshwater fish species. Aflatoxins estimated daily intakes (EDI) exposure was 4.81 × 10−3 and 2.41 × 10−3 μg/kg bw/day for the children and adults respectively; while the aflatoxins HI value for children was 7.300 × 10−4, and for adults was 7.293 × 10−4. Health risks assessment of heavy metal accumulation in the fish, for both children and adults portrayed insignificant adverse health effects (THQ &lt; 1), through the oral consumption of the fishes. Aflatoxins level detected in the all fishes was within acceptable limits (10 ppb) as approved by the World Health Organization; however, some of the values for freshwater fishes were above the allowable limit (2 ppb) approved by the European Union. Though, the results depicted a very low risk of toxic metals and aflatoxins poisoning, there is the need for proper evaluation of current fish processing and storage methods to prevent human exposure to toxic metals and aflatoxins introduced through smoked-dried fish consumption.

High time-resolution source apportionment and health risk assessment for PM2.5-bound elements at an industrial city in northwest China

To better respond to heavy air pollution, the local government of Baoji City, a traditionally industry dominated city in northwest China, released several warning levels between December 2019 and January 2020. The system aims to provide a more efficient control of pollution sources. In this study, a high-time resolution measurement of PM2.5-bound elements was applied to capture the diurnal-scale dynamic processes associated with major pollution activities in northwest China. A series of elements were quantified and used for source apportionment using the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. Combined with the local characteristics, nine sources were resolved with contributions in descending order: fugitive dust (36.6 %), biomass burning (20.1 %), traffic-related (10.4 %), coal combustion (10.0 %), titanium alloy smelting (7.2 %), As-related industry (6.9 %), Zn-related industry (5.6 %), molybdenum alloy smelting (2.5 %), and Cr-related industry (0.7 %). The health risk assessment indicated non-carcinogenic risks for Mn and carcinogenic risks for As and Cr in both adults and children. The cumulative non-carcinogenic risk for the elements was 3.2 times the safety threshold, while the carcinogenic risk (CR) was 6.8 and 27 times the acceptable levels for children and adults, respectively. For source-resolved risks, As- and Cr-related industry emissions showed the highest carcinogenic risk. Five of the nine resolved sources for adults have CR values 1.4 and 9.7 times the acceptable level. This study provides valuable information for developing targeted strategies to control air pollutants and protect public health.

Heavy metals concentration, pollution indexes, and health risk assessment of urban road dust in the historical center of Havana, Cuba

In recent years, the historical center of Old Havana has been under a serious restoration movement which could increase the heavy metal concentrations in street dusts and thus severely impact humans in the area. Therefore, the aim of this work is to study the heavy metal concentrations, pollution indexes, and health risk assessment of urban road dusts from the city in order to assess if this restoration movement is harmful to the citizens and visitors. Street road dust samples were collected at 33 stations for the determination of some heavy metals (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb) concentrations using an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrument. The mean concentration values of the elements Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb were 7.0mg.kg-1, 60.6mg.kg-1, 73.6mg.kg-1, 548.7mg.kg-1, and 60.8mg.kg-1, respectively. Zn and Pb showed higher values of the background. The study of the enrichment factor (EF), the pollution index (IP), and the integral pollution index (IPI) showed some stations with high values of contamination near construction places. Zn was identified as the major pollutant and correlated to the biggest construction places of the municipality at that moment. However, the hazard index (HI) and carcinogenic risk (CR) values do not show the risk of getting non-carcinogenic or carcinogenic diseases associated with the analyzed pollutants. Therefore, it was safely concluded that the big reconstruction movement does not represent a health problem.

Determination of lead and cadmium in fruit juice: occurrence and risk characterisation in Iranian population

ABSTRACT In the present study, cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) were monitored in different juice samples including orange, grape, apple and multi-fruit juices collected from Zanjan, Iran. The collected fruit juice samples were digested by using a microwave digestion system and their metals content was determined under graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). In addition, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk resulting from Cd and Pb entered through fruit juice consumption were evaluated. Cd and Pb were detected in more than 41% and 80% of analysed fruit juices. The highest concentration of Pb and Cd was observed in orange juice (99 and 9.4 µg/l). Furthermore, incidence of Pb and Cd in 58.9% and 4.9% of fruit juices were higher than the established Codex maximum permissible level. The data showed that total hazard quotients (THQ) for Pb and Cd metals in fruit juices were less than 1 in adults and children, meaning that no major non-carcinogenic risk is resulted from consumption of fruit juice samples. In Cd, the highest calculated CR at the 95th percentile for carcinogenic risk was 1.47 × 10−5 (multi-fruits for children) and 1.43 × 10−5 (orange juice for children) as determined by Monte Carlo simulation model. In addition, for the carcinogenic risk of Pb in adults and children, the safest risk value (≤10−6) was indicated. The calculated CR of Cd and Pb in juices for adults and children was lower than the permissible carcinogenic risk value set by USEPA (1 × 10−5). Based on the results, fruit juices are not the major source of Cd and Pb intake by Iranian consumers.