Evaluation Of Human Health Risks Research Articles

Applications of geochemical and multivariate statistical approaches for the evaluation of groundwater quality and human health risks in a semi-arid region of eastern Maharashtra, India.

A qualitative approach, including geochemical and multivariate statistical approaches, is applied to evaluate the groundwater quality and human health risk, based on analytical data of 72 samples collected from a semi-arid region of eastern Maharashtra, India. The shifting of hydrochemical type from Ca2+-Na+-[Formula: see text] to Na+-Ca2+-Cl- type was observed along different flow paths. The main controlling processes observed from the chemical characterisation of the groundwater are water-rock interactions, dedolomitisation and reverse ion exchange. Simulation analysis (mass transfer) exposes the dissolution of dolomite, gypsum, halite, k-feldspar and CO2 down the simulated pathways. Around 77% of the total variance was observed from the first three principal component analyses. The high positive loadings of EC, TDS, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Cl-, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] of PC1 revealed silicate weathering and reverse ion exchange followed by human activities as the contamination sources. The sources identified for high positive loadings on [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] of PC2 are soil CO2 and human activities. The high loadings of pH and F- in PC3 revealed fluorite dissolution and calcite precipitation. The human health risk calculated for [Formula: see text] revealed that 58% and 44% of the total groundwater samples surpassed the tolerance limit for non-carcinogenic risk of 1.0 in children and adults. The human health risk assessment for fluoride showed high hazard index values in 40% and 23% of the total groundwater samples for children and adults, respectively. The study suggests some management measures for protection of groundwater resources.

Accumulation of trace elements in leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) eggs from the south-western Caribbean indicates potential health risks to consumers.

Trace metal and metalloid levels were measured in eggs of the NW Atlantic leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) from nesting grounds in the Bocas del Toro province, Panama, to infer exposure and associated risks to local communities. Samples were analyzed for a set of 26 essential and non-essential elements using inductively coupled plasma techniques. Median concentrations of Fe, Zn, As, Se and Sr in D.coriacea eggs were higher than previously reported for this species, which likely reflects differential contamination levels of specimens during foraging. The evaluation of non-carcinogenic human health risks from ingesting leatherback eggs has revealed potential deleterious effects due to high concentrations of As, Se and Sr for all examined age and gender groups, while Hg and Zn levels were above international standards for children. Hazard index (HI) values exceeded unity in all cases indicating serious health impacts related to possible additive effects of multiple metals co-occurring in the eggs. Our findings suggest that exposure to high (inorganic) As and Cr(VI) levels is associated with an increased carcinogenic risk, significantly exceeding the acceptable lifetime risk of 10-6 for both adults and children. Despite some limitations, such as unclear As and Cr speciation, our results demonstrated that the ingestion of D.coriacea eggs poses considerable health risks to local communities, and their consumption should not exceed 3.4×10-4g (5.0×10-6 eggs) kg BW d-1. Resource managers and conservationists should focus their attention to human health effects as an alternative tool to address egg poaching and consumption.

Evaluation of groundwater quality and human health risks from fluoride and nitrate in semi-arid region of northern India.

Groundwater quality in the alluvial plains of Punjab has special significance and needs great attention since it is the foremost source of drinking, irrigation and industrial uses. The present research work emphasizes the integrated hydrogeochemical and chemometric statistical approaches to appraise the geochemical processes and source apportionment of the groundwater in the alluvial plains of Jalandhar district, Punjab, India. The human health risk assessment was also performed to quantify the potential non-carcinogenic impacts of nitrate and fluoride on human health through ingestion of groundwater. For this purpose, 41 groundwater samples were collected from different groundwater abstraction units and analysed for pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total hardness, total alkalinity and major ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, HCO3-, CO32-, SO42-, NO3-, F-, Cl- and PO43-) using standard protocols. Drinking water quality index and Revelle index showed that groundwater samples fall under poor to unfit water class and salinization along the south-western portion of the study region shows poor water quality. The results of the hazard index (HIingestion) show 68% and 46.34% of the groundwater samples have HI > 1 for children and adults. The non-carcinogenic health risk assessment of nitrate (NO3-) and fluoride (F-) on the local population indicated that the children are more vulnerable through direct ingestion of drinking water than adults. Piper diagram and saturation index reveal that Ca2+-Mg2+-HCO3- is the dominant hydrochemical facies and oversaturated with calcite, dolomite and aragonite minerals in the groundwater. Gibbs diagrams, chloro-alkaline indices and scatter plots show that the hydrochemistry of the groundwater is mainly governed by aquifer material interaction such as weathering of silicate, carbonate rock, halite dissolution and cation exchange process. Chemometric statistical techniques revealed that the source identification of parameters such as Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, HCO3-, CO3- and F- is originated from geogenic factors, whereas NO3-, SO42-, Cl- and PO43- are from the anthropogenic origin. Therefore, urgent and efficient measures must be taken to combat groundwater pollution and reduce human health risk in the study area.

Assessment of Groundwater Quality and Human Health Risk (HHR) Evaluation of Nitrate in the Central-Western Guanzhong Basin, China.

To investigate the quality of domestic groundwater and assess its risk to inhabitants of the Guanzhong Basin, China, 191 groundwater samples were collected to analyze major ions, nitrate, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), and electrical conductivity (EC). The physiochemical parameters, hydrochemical facies, and sources of major ions were analyzed using Durov diagrams, bivariate diagrams, and chloro-alkaline indices (CAI-I and CAI-II). The suitability of groundwater for drinking, the nitrate distribution, and human health risk (HHR) for different age groups were evaluated. The results showed that the relative abundance of cations in the groundwater samples was K++Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+, while that of anions was HCO3− > SO42− > Cl− > NO3−. Groundwater samples mainly contained HCO3-Na and HCO3-Ca, which were introduced mainly by rock weathering and ion exchange. The groundwater in the Guanzhong Basin contained mainly good and medium water, and the groundwater in the southern part of the Wei River was better than that north of the Wei River. Areas containing high nitrate concentrations were mainly located in the central and western parts of the Guanzhong Basin. The percentages of low risk (<45 mg/L), high risk (45–100 mg/L), and very high risk (>100 mg/L) of nitrate pollution in the study area were 90.58%, 8.9%, and 0.52%, respectively. The HHR assessment results indicated that people in the 6–12 month age group were more likely to suffer from health complications due to a higher nitrate concentration, followed by 6–11 years, 21–65 years, 18–21 years, ≥65 years, 11–16 years, and 16–18 years age groups, which was mainly due to the different exposure parameters. The results of this study will be useful in regional groundwater management and protection.

Heavy metals pollution assessment and its associated human health risk evaluation of urban soils from Indian cities: a review.

Urban soils of 32 Indian cities were collected from literature-based data for the period of 2001-2019 to measure the contamination levels of six heavy metals including arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) and also evaluated the potential human health risk for adults and children. The results indicated that concentrations of six heavy metals in the urban soils were much higher than both geochemical background values (Grade-I) and also Canadian soil quality guideline values (Grade-II) in most of the cities in India. Higher concentration of Cr and Ni was in cities mainly located in southern (Karnataka), northern (Uttar Pradesh), and eastern (Odisha); As and Pb primarily in central (Telangana), while Zn and Cu largely in western (Maharashtra) and eastern (Jharkhand) states of India, respectively. The index of geo-accumulation (Igeo) values varied largely and showed moderately polluted to extremely polluted levels, possibly caused/influenced by anthropogenic activity in the urban regions in India. The non-carcinogenic health risk due to Cu, Zn, Ni, and Pb in most urban regions was lower than the threshold value (HI < 1), indicating no non-carcinogenic health risk for adults and children. As and Cr on children, non-carcinogenic risk was very higher than that of adults, and their risk values were also exceeded the threshold value, indicating that As and Cr in the urban soils posed considerable non-carcinogenic health risks on urban residents. The total carcinogenic/cancer risk due to Pb in most urban regions was lower than the recommended limit of 1.00E-04, while Cr and As have shown potential cancer risk for both adults and children. Therefore, As and Cr are the sole heavy metals that cause potential health risk in an urban region residents in India, which needs to be paid more attention and also controlling measures should be initiated.

Heavy Metal Burden and Evaluation of Human Health Risks in Tomato Fruits Cultivated in Katsina State, North West Nigeria

This study was conducted to determine the heavy metals concentration in Tomato fruits cultivated in Katsina State Nigeria. The objectives were mainly to detect the presence of heavy metals in the cultivated Tomato fruits in the study area, compare the concentration of heavy metals in samples in relation to the permissible limits specified by WHO/FAO/USEPA Standards. Samples of cultivated tomato fruits were collected in the year 2017 from the selected areas. Analysis for the concentration of these heavy metals; Cr, Cd, Fe, Ni, Mn, Pb and Zn was conducted by the use of AAS (by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry) method. The health risks to the local inhabitants from the consumption of the samples were evaluated based on the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ). The possibility of cancer risks in the samples through intake of carcinogenic heavy metals was estimated using the Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR). Results from this study has shown that with the exception of the mean values for the heavy metal Pb (1.171–1.21 mg/kg), the mean concentration (mg/kg) range values of Zn (0.558- 1.851), Fe (0.880–1.181), Mn (0.458-0.671) and Cd (0.054-0.062) were below the WHO/FAO maximum permissive limits. The results have indicated that the estimated daily intake (EDI) of the heavy metals were lower than the tolerable daily intake limit set by the USEPA in all the samples. All the studied tomato fruits showed the risk level (HI &lt; 1). Risk level of Target Hazard Quotient (THQ &lt; 1) was observed for all the evaluated heavy metals for both adults and children. The THQ for the samples were in the decreasing order Mn&gt;Zn&gt;Pb&gt;Fe&gt;Cd, for all the tomato fruits respectively. ILCR for Cd violated the threshold risk limit (&gt;10−4) and ILCR for Pb reached the moderate risk limit (&gt;10−3) in all the studied samples in adults, While in children ILCR for both Pb and Cd violated the risk. The sampling area trend of risk for developing cancer as a result of consuming the studied samples showed in decreasing order: Daura senatorial zone &gt; Funtua senatorial zone&gt; Katsina senatorial zone for both adult and children. Cumulative cancer risk (∑ILCR) of all the studied tomato fruits reached the moderate risk limit (&gt;10−3) in adults, while in children it is above the moderate risk limit (&gt;10−2). The study suggests that consumption of the studied tomato fruits in Katsina state is of public health concern as they may contribute to the population cancer burden.

Evaluation of potential human health risk due to the exposure to mercury via fish consumption of Alosa spp. from the southern Caspian Sea

The main objectives of the present study were to measure the concentration of mercury in Alosa spp. muscle tissue and to assess the health risk to consumers. For this purpose, fish samples were collected from four regions of the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Mean concentrations of mercury in the regions of Bandar Torkaman, Feridonkenar, Chalos and Bandar Anzali were 264.10, 73.74, 161.90, and 183.80 μg g−1 dw, respectively. The mercury averages obtained in all four regions were below the standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The values of hazard quotient also showed no potential health risk for consumer. However, the assessment of other contaminants is recommended for more accurate conclusions about the health risks of consumers through the consumption of the fish.

Micronutrient and heavy metal concentrations in basil plant cultivated on irradiated and non-irradiated sewage sludge- treated soil and evaluation of human health risk

Gamma irradiation is regarded as a promising alternative method for sewage sludge (SS) treatment. To evaluate the human health risk and effects of gamma irradiated and non-irradiated SS (SSGI and SSNI, respectively) on micronutrient and heavy metal concentrations in basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) as a test plant, a greenhouse experiment based on completely randomized design was conducted with control (without SS and irradiation) and 15, 30 and 60 g kg−1 of SSNI as well as SSGI (irradiated with doses of 5, 10 and 20 kGy) with three replicates. The results indicated that the concentrations of copper, zinc, iron, nickel, lead, and cadmium in SSGI and SSNI treatments were greater than the limits set by FAO/WHO for vegetables or by European Commission for food. The target hazard quotient (THQ) of all metals except lead in the treatments with >15 g kg−1 SSGI or SSNI and the hazard index (HI) in the control treatment were lower than the threshold value of 1, but the HIs in SSNI and SSGI treatments were greater than the threshold value. Nevertheless, no significant differences existed between most THQs and HIs from dietary intake of basil grown in SSGI as compared with SSNI. It was concluded that the basil cultivated under tested levels of SSGI and SSNI is not permissible for human consumption.

Urinary monitoring of neonicotinoid imidacloprid exposure to pesticide applicators

Neonicotinoid pesticides have recently drawn attention worldwide owing to their potential adverse effects on non-target organisms and ecosystems. Exposure to imidacloprid, the most widely used neonicotinoid insecticide, is of particular concern among rural populations because of its ubiquitous use in agriculture. Hence, biological monitoring of urinary imidacloprid and its major metabolite 6-chloronicotinic acid (6-CNA) was performed using Polar Enhanced Polymer solid-phase extraction by LC-MS/MS with mean recoveries of 78.3–109.8% and limits of quantitation at 0.029–0.038 ng/mL. Imidacloprid was detected in 100% of urine samples from rural applicators at concentrations of 0.21–8.91 ng/mL (0.06–9.60 μg/g creatinine) and 0.11–24.58 ng/mL (0.66–57.40 μg/g creatinine) before and after pesticide application, respectively. Significant increase in urine concentration (3.52- to 3.77-fold) of imidacloprid and 6-CNA was observed after local imidacloprid field application (p ≤ 0.001). The estimated absorbed daily dose (ADD) for imidacloprid was 0.52–248.05 μg/kg/d, indicating that attention should be paid to potential health risks for applicators because of increased imidacloprid exposure at level of significance (p < 0.05). This study is the first to report ADD estimation for imidacloprid, thereby providing an important reference for further human health risk evaluation.

High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Inductively coupled plasma Mass Spectrometry

Speciation analysis has evolved into an valuable tool in human health risk evaluation, environmental survey and food quality control. The eventual impact of an element will be dictated by particular species of forms of the element, rather than its total concentration. Separation and detection of species of several elements in single analytical run can be accomplished by high performance liquid chromatography hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC/ICP-MS). Although various methods are available for speciation analysis. Yet, because of several advantages like versatility, robustness, sensitivity, and multielement capabilities HPLC-ICP-MS has become the most popular technique for element specific speciation studies. This review will focus on fundamentals of HPLC/ICP-MS, recent advancements and its recent applications in various fields.

Introduction to the thematic issue: mineral deposits exploration and environmental geochemistry: case studies in Italy and in China

Raw materials are fundamental to the economy, and hence to growth and jobs, and they are essential for maintaining and improving our quality of life. Securing reliable, sustainable and economic access to certain ‘critical’ raw materials is of growing concern around the globe. But it is as well a priority to acquire detailed information about the distribution of PTE and POP both at regional and local scales for environmental issues. The latter are of fundamental importance for environmental risk assessment and analysis that have a crucial role in the evaluation of human health risk, especially in mining and intensive urbanized areas. In addition, geochemical knowledge of the territory and mostly of top soils, where the main agricultural products grow, to become the foods for citizens, may be useful for land-use planning. Geochemical exploration methods are widely used to manage, visualize, analyse and interpret data for further identifying geochemical anomalies, for both the discovery of new ore bodies and for environmental purposes.

Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in commonly consumed seafood from coastal areas of Bangladesh and associated human health implications.

Levels, distribution, possible sources and potential risks of 16 USEPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated comprehensively in frequently consumed seafood species collected from the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Samples were collected in winter and summer, 2015. The total concentration of PAHs (∑PAHs) in the examined seafood was 184.5-2806.6ng/g wet weight (ww) in winter and 117.9-4216.8ng/g ww in summer, respectively. The levels of ∑PAHs were comparable to or higher than those reported from other coastal areas. Seasonal variation was not significant for the majority of the monitored PAHs. Spatial distribution revealed that the seafood collected from areas with recent urbanization and industrialization (Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Sundarbans) was more contaminated with PAHs than those from the unindustrialized area (Meghna Estuary). Low-molecular-weight isomers dominated the PAH composition. Molecular ratios suggested the abundance of mixed sources of PAHs in the Bangladeshi coastal areas with a slight imposition toward the petrogenic origin. A preliminary evaluation of human health risk indicated that the dietary PAH exposure from consumption of Bangladeshi seafood would certainly induce adverse health effects. This finding suggests the need to enhance risk management regarding seafood consumption through public advisory in Bangladesh.

Evaluation of Human Health Risks Associated with Exposure to Disinfection by-Products (Dbps) in Drinking Water of Wassit Province Southeast Iraq

The toxicological risks and lifetime cancer risks associated with exposure to disinfection by-products (DBPs) including Halloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) compounds by drinking water in several districts in Wassit Province were estimated. The seasonal variation of HAAs and THMs compounds in drinking water have indicated that the mean values for total HAAs (THAAs) and total THMs (TTHMs) ranged from 43.2 to 72.4 mg/l and from 40 to 115.5 mg/l, respectively. The World health organization index for additive toxicity approach was non-compliant with the WHO guideline value in summer and autumn seasons and this means that THMs concentration has adverse toxic health effects. The multi-pathway of lifetime human health risk of cancer credited to THMs and HAAs in drinking water via three exposure routes for THMs and only one exposure route for HAAs was evaluated and found to be 6.13×10-4 and 1.78×10-4 respectively and these values were higher than the US.EPA range of concern limit of 1×10-6. The risk ratio of THAAs to TTHMs was 3.44. Also, the highest cancer risk was recorded for BDCM followed by DBCM, CF, TCAA, DCAA, and BF.

Evaluation of human health risks associated with toxic metals present in coastal ecosystem: a study on trophic level transfer of metals in Bay of Bengal, India

Evaluation of human health risks associated with toxic metals present in coastal ecosystem: a study on trophic level transfer of metals in Bay of Bengal, India

The abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes in the atmospheric environment of composting plants

Composting is considered to reduce the introduction of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) into the environment through land application of manure; however, the possible pollution of ARGs in the atmospheric environment of composting plants is unknown. In this study, 29 air samples including up- and downwind, composting, packaging, and office areas from 4 composting plants were collected. Dynamic concentrations of 22 subtypes of ARGs, class 1 integron (intl1), and 2 potential human pathogenic bacteria (HPB), and bacterial communities were investigated using droplet digital PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, respectively. In this study, intl1 and 22 subtypes of ARGs (except tetQ) were detected in air of composting, packaging, office, and downwind areas. The highest concentration of 15 out of 22 subtypes of ARGs was detected in the packaging areas, and intl1 also had the maximum average concentration of 104 copies/m3, with up to (1.78 ± 0.49) × 10−2 copies/16S rRNA copy. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling of ARGs, potential HPBs, and bacterial components all indicated that the bioaerosol pollutant pattern in packaging areas was most similar to that in composting areas, followed by office, downwind, and upwind areas. The co-occurrence between ARGs and bacterial taxa assessed by Procrustes test, mantel test, and network analysis implied that aerosolized ARG fragments from composting and packaging areas contributed to the compositions of ARG aerosols in office and downwind areas. The results presented here show that atmoshperic environments of composting plants harbor abundant and diverse ARGs, which highlight the urgent need for comprehensive evaluation of potential human health and ecological risks of composts during both production as well as land application.

Concentration and potential health risk of heavy metals in seafoods collected from Sanmen Bay and its adjacent areas, China

Commercial marine fish, crustacean, and mollusc samples were collected from Sanmen Bay and its adjacent areas to investigate the accumulation of heavy metals in various species of marine organisms and evaluate the potential health risk for local consumers. The results indicated significant variations in metal contents among species. The highest concentrations of studied metals were found in molluscs, followed by crustaceans and fish. The first metal group of arsenic (As), cadmium, copper, and zinc were associated by their relatively high concentrations in the tissues of marine organisms, whereas chromium, mercury, and lead were identified the other group with low concentrations. Human health risk evaluation indicated that the exposure doses of most elements for coastal people were safe, except for As, which scored a high total target hazard quotient and target cancer risk value. Potential health risk of heavy metal exposure from seafood consumption should not be ignored.

Health Risk Assessment for Bangladesh is due to Arsenic Exposure from Consumption of Vegetables Grown with Natural Arsenic Contaminated Groundwater

In the context of increasing uses of Arsenic contaminated groundwater for irrigation in Bangladesh and observed health related problems, we evaluated potential health risk for Bangladesh is due to As exposure from consumption of vegetables. Eight vegetable plants (Amaranth, Arum, Carrot, Eggplant, Indian Spinach, Okra, Potato and Radish) were grown in open field and irrigated with natural As contaminated water (0.005-0.903 mg L-1) for 80-90 days. The average As concentrations in the vegetables, measured by GF-AAS, were 0.431, 0.719, 0.928, 1.574 and 2.287 mg kg-1 (ww.) corresponding to irrigation water As concentrations of 0.005 (control), 0.044, 0.103, 0.507 and 0.903 mg L-1 respectively. We established linear regression equation of fitted model for water-vegetable As concentration (n=54) relationship (r=0.767 and P<0.05). Statistical analyses with r value, P value of ANOVA table, Durbin-Watson Statistic and Lack-of-Fit test strongly validated the model. Merging British Geological Survey’s (BGS) groundwater datasets (n=3534) for Bangladesh to the model led to estimation of As concentrations in vegetables district-wise. We followed USEPA Guidelines for Exposure Assessment for evaluation of human health risk. Risk, defined as ‘Hazard Quotient’ (HQ), was mapped for three vulnerable population sub-groups: Highly Exposed Child, Average Person and Senior. The results showed that all the children (0-6 years) were at health risk, whereas 98% of seniors and 76% of average persons (i.e., adults) were safe in consuming vegetables. The eight administrative division-wise HQ values for average persons were as follows: Rangpur (0.760)<Rajshahi (0.775)<Mymensingh (0.805)<Barisal (0.815)<Sylhet (0.820)<Khulna (0.990)<Dhaka (0.996)<Chittagong (1.147). The worst affected district was Chandpur. The findings explored the extent of As health risk for children (0-6 years), adults and seniors of Bangladesh precisely from vegetable consumption. This study highlights the importance of sight-specific risk assessment considering more pollutant parameters.

Evaluation of Human Health Risks Associated with Exposure to Disinfection by-Products (Dbps) in Drinking Water of Wassit Province Southeast Iraq

The toxicological risks and lifetime cancer risks associated with exposure to disinfection by-products (DBPs) including Halloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) compounds by drinking water in several districts in Wassit Province were estimated. The seasonal variation of HAAs and THMs compounds in drinking water have indicated that the mean values for total HAAs (THAAs) and total THMs (TTHMs) ranged from 43.2 to 72.4 mg/l and from 40 to 115.5 mg/l, respectively. The World health organization index for additive toxicity approach was non-compliant with the WHO guideline value in summer and autumn seasons and this means that THMs concentration has adverse toxic health effects. The multi-pathway of lifetime human health risk of cancer credited to THMs and HAAs in drinking water via three exposure routes for THMs and only one exposure route for HAAs was evaluated and found to be 6.13×10-4 and 1.78×10-4 respectively and these values were higher than the US.EPA range of concern limit of 1×10-6. The risk ratio of THAAs to TTHMs was 3.44. Also, the highest cancer risk was recorded for BDCM followed by DBCM, CF, TCAA, DCAA, and BF.

Evaluation of Potential Human Health Risks from Toxic Metals via Consumption of Cultured Fish Species Labeo rohita: A Case Study from an Urban Aquaculture Pond

The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of heavy metal pollution in the urban pond near to the coal mining region (India). The water, sediment, and fish samples were collected and analysed to assess the associated health risk. In the sediment, geoaccumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (CF), and pollution load index (PLI) were calculated. The estimated daily dietary intake (EDI) for As, Cd, Hg, and Pb were calculated for adults and children on the basis of an average amount of fish consumed by the Indian people. The associated health hazard with the consumption of fish from the urban pond was also assessed in terms of target hazard quotients (THQs). The concentration of As, Cd, Hg, and Pb in the muscles of Labeo rohita were found to be 0.33, 0.26, 0.19, and 3.9 mg kg−1, respectively. The observed metal concentrations in the fish muscles were higher than the limits set by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) except for Cd and Hg. The values of THQs were found to be maximum for Hg (3.31) followed by As (1.93), Pb (1.7), and Cd (0.26) in the case of children. The results indicate that the concentrations of Hg, As, and Pb are at an alarming stage and present a high health risk condition especially in the case of children.

Trace Metal Levels in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Cultured in Net Cages in a Reservoir and Evaluation of Human Health Risks from Consumption

Although fish consumption has positive health effects, metals accumulated in fish can cause human health risks. In this study, the levels of ten metals in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) farmed in the Keban Dam Reservoir, which has the biggest rainbow trout production capacity in Turkey, were determined and compared with the maximum permissible levels (MPLs). Also, human health risks associated with rainbow trout consumption were assessed. The metal concentrations in rainbow trout were found below the MPLs. The estimated daily intake of each metal was much lower than the respective tolerable daily intake. The target hazard quotient (THQ) for individual metal and total THQ for combined metals did not exceed 1, indicating no health risk for consumers. The cancer risk (CR) value for inorganic arsenic was within the acceptable lifetime risk range of 10-6 and 10-4. For carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects, the maximum allowable fish consumption rates were high enough to ensure the human health. According to these results, the consumption of rainbow trout farmed in the Keban Dam Reservoir does not pose a risk on human health.