Health Risks Of Metals Research Articles

Spatial Distribution, Chemical Speciation and Health Risk of Heavy Metals from Settled Dust in Qingdao Urban Area

Settled dust samples were collected from Qingdao urban area to analyze the spatial distribution, chemical speciation and sources of metals, and to evaluate the health risk of metals from atmospheric dust. The average contents of Hg, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in the atmospheric settled dust of Qingdao were 0.17, 0.75, 153.1, 456.7, 60.9, 176.0 and 708.3 mg/kg, respectively, which were higher than soil background values. The mean exchangeable metal and carbonated-associated fraction proportions of Cd, Zn and Pb were 43.6%, 26.1% and 15%, which implies that they have high mobility and bioavailability. Higher contents of heavy metals appeared in old city areas because of the historical accumulation of metals. Principal component analysis showed that combustion sources partially contributed to Pb, Zn and other trace metals. Hg, Pb and Zn mainly originated from business, human activities and municipal construction. Cd and Cu from settled dust of the old city originated from the erosion and ageing of construction materials. The non-carcinogenic risk rankings for the seven determined heavy metals were ingestion > dermal > inhalation. Cd, Cr and Ni from settled dust showed a low carcinogenic risk. The health risks of Cr, Cu and Pb were higher in old city areas and, therefore, need special attention.

Source Apportionment and Heath Risk Quantification of Heavy Metals in PM2.5 in Yangzhou, China

Recently, a new method combining positive matrix factorization (PMF) and heavy metal health risk (HMHR) assessment was proposed to apportion sources of heavy metals in ambient particulate matter and the associated heavy metal cancer health risk (HMCR), which has been applied to data collected in Yangzhou, China. The annual average concentrations of six measured heavy metals were Pb (64.4 ng·m-3), followed by Cr (25.24 ng·m-3), As (6.36 ng·m-3), Ni (5.36 ng·m-3), Cd (3.34 ng·m-3), and Co (1.21 ng·m-3). The results showed that the major sources of PM2.5 were secondary sources (37.7%), followed by coal combustion (19.4%), resuspended dust (17.5%), vehicle emissions (16.9%), construction dust (5.2%), and industrial emissions (3.4%). As was primarily emitted from coal combustion, vehicle emissions, and resuspended dust. Co originated from industry emissions. Pb was mainly emitted from coal combustion. Ni and Cd were from industrial emissions. The major sources that contributed to HMCR were resuspended dust, coal combustion, vehicle emissions, industry emissions, and construction dust. The high contributions of resuspended dust and coal to HMCR were likely due to the high heavy metals concentrations in coal and the resuspended dust profile as well as high emissions of these sources.

Occurrence, potential health risk of heavy metals in aquatic organisms from Laizhou Bay, China

Heavy metal pollution is a serious environmental problem. Up to date, research regarding distribution, accumulation and potential risk assessment of metals in aquatic organisms in Laizhou Bay, China is scarce. This study aims to investigate metals in aquatic organisms in this region. The results demonstrated that great variability of metals content occurred among species and sampling locations. Fe was the most abundant metal, followed by Zn, Mn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Cd and Pb. Overall, shellfish and crab displayed high enrichment ability compared with fish and shrimp. There was no significant correlation between metals and samples weight, δ13C and δ15N values. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that metals in samples were mainly derived from anthropogenic activities. Health risk of metals was evaluated on the basis of estimated daily intake (EDI) and target hazard quotient (THQ) values. The results indicated that metals in studied seafood had no significant risks for ordinary consumers.

Levels and health risks of PM2.5-bound toxic metals from firework/firecracker burning during festival periods in response to management strategies

Daily PM2.5 was collected in the periods before, during and after the Chinese Spring Festival (CSF) in both 2016 and 2018 to clarify the annual variation in the concentrations and health risks of toxic metals under different firework/firecracker (FF) management strategies. PM2.5 and bound metals all decreased during the CSF from 2016 to 2018. According to relative abundance analysis, toxic metals, i.e., Ba, Pb, Cu and Cr, showed obvious peak concentrations and abundance levels on intensive FF burning days, i.e., New Year's Eve, Chinese New Year and the Lunar Festival. In both CSF periods, three sources of toxic metals, namely, FF burning, coal combustion, and resuspended dust and vehicle emissions, were identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF). Among them, the mass contribution of FF decreased from 0.83 μg m−3 (11%) in the 2016 CSF to 0.23 μg m−3 (9.0%) in the 2018 CSF. The FF-attributed noncancer and cancer risks due to metals for residents under long-term exposure were 0.02 (19.9%) and 1.76 × 10−7 (17.9%) in the 2016 CSF and 0.01 (20.2%) and 8.59 × 10−8 (14.7%) in the 2018 CSF. Although a policy shift from “restriction” to “prohibition” regarding FF has indeed decreased toxic metal concentrations and health risk, Cr(VI) and Ba should be examined more closely in the future because they have become dominant contributors to cancer risk and noncancer risk, respectively.

Spatial contamination and health risks of heavy metal(loid)s in surface soils from a petrochemical complex in the north-eastern region of Algeria

The spatial distribution patterns, origins and environmental and health risks of metal trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) have been evaluated through spiking and analysis of 84 soil samples in the region of Arzew (Algeria). This city has one of the biggest petroleum harbours of Algeria and in the same platform several industries, coexisting with residential and agricultural areas. The mean concentration of all the metals studied exceeds their corresponding background levels and/or exceeds the ecological predicted no effect concentration values. The geo-accumulation and the potential ecological risk indices indicate a low to moderate risk for As, Co, Cu, Ni and Zn and a moderate to considerable risk for Cr and Pb. According to the health risk assessment results, the carcinogenic risks due to Cr exceed the acceptable level in all the functional areas, and when considering combined effects of metals, the hazard index obtained shows a high potential carcinogenic risk to the local children.

Sources analysis and health risk assessment of trace elements in urban soils of Hualpen, Chile

Urban soils are a key component of urban ecosystems as they support biodiversity, provide foundation for infrastructure and play an important role in maintaining the environmental quality, being both a sink and a source of pollutants that have an effect in human health. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the concentrations background of As, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V and Zn in the urban soils of Hualpen (Chile); (2) to assess the level of contamination in the urban soil based on different pollution indices; (3) to identify natural or anthropogenic sources in order to determine a spatial pattern of the pollutants and (4) to assess the health risks of trace metals in surface soils of Hualpen. A total of 153 samples were collected from the study area as follows: 51 topsoil samples (TS) (0–10 cm), 51 subsoil samples (SS) (10–20 cm) and 51 deep soil samples (DS) (150 cm). Multivariate statistics combined with spatial analysis were implemented in order to distinguish the sources. Several simple and robust statistical methods were applied to datasets in order to explore their potential in the evaluation of a useful and robust background values. The degree of contamination along with pollution indices were also evaluated. The median soil pseudo total concentrations of the elements were as follows: As 3 mg kg−1, Co 15 mg kg−1, Cr 14 mg kg−1, Cu 25 mg kg−1, Ni 36 mg kg−1, Pb 5 mg kg−1, V 97 mg kg−1 and Zn 51 mg kg−1. Multivariate analysis suggests that Cr, Pb, V and Zn are contributed by external sources. The spatial distribution of these elements displays a spatial pattern extending along industrial environments and emission sources. While the other elements show a spatial pattern with a few anthropogenic hot spots dispersed across Hualpen, they were influenced by both anthropogenic and geogenic inputs. The estimate background values determined with the DS samples with median absolute deviation (MAD) method were for As 5 mg kg−1, Co 20 mg kg−1, Cr 18 mg kg−1, Cu 33 mg kg−1, Ni 45 mg kg−1, Pb 3 mg kg−1, V 108 mg kg−1 and Zn 48 mg kg−1. The ecological indices register a moderate to considerable contamination in some soil samples. It was noted that the soils of Hualpen pose no carcinogenic risk, neither by inhalation nor by ingestion.

Assessment of Human Health Risk of Potential Toxic Metals in Herbal Concoction Teas Commonly Consumed in Nigeria

Concentrations of potential toxic metals (Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, As, Fe and Mn) were determined in herbal concoction teas commonly consumed in Nigeria using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Results revealed that Fe had the highest concentration with a mean value of 13.136 ± 0.195 µg/g, while As had the least mean concentration (0.043 ± 0.006 µg/g). Pollution index (PI) result indicated that the teas were contaminated with Cu (PI value > 1) while it was clear of contamination by the other investigated metals. Cluster analysis showed close inter-element relationships between the investigated metals, indicating similar chemical properties and/or genetic origin. Correlation matrix showed that positive and significant correlations existed between between Zn/Cr, Ni/Cr, Co/Cr, Fe/Cu, Mn/Cu, Ni/Zn, Co/Zn, Co/Ni and Mn/Fe, indicating chemical affinity. Estimated daily intake, target hazard quotient and cancer risk showed that there was no health risk associated with the consumption of the herbal concoction teas. Relative risk indicated that the highest concern is from the levels of Co in the teas. The study concluded that consumption of the teas may not pose risk to human health at the current levels of the metals, but should be consumed moderately to prevent bioaccumulation of the metals.

Heavy Metal Speciation and Health Risk Assessment of Soil and Jute Mallow (Corchorus Olitorus) Collected From a Farm Settlement in Ikorodu, Lagos, Nigeria

There is an increasing global concern for adverse effects of inorganic fertilizer and pesticides applied to agricultural soils. This study investigated metal speciation in soil and health risk assessment of Jute mallow (Corchorus olitoriuos) from a farm settlement in Ikorodu, Lagos State. Soil samples were collected according to the set standard procedure, sequentially extracted and analyzed for selected heavy metals using standard methods. Results showed that chromium (Cr) was associated with reducible fraction (Fe-Mn) for top soil, while cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu); lead (Pb) and nickel (Ni); and Cr were predominantly bound to carbonate, reducible and residual mineral components respectively for sub-soil. The results of Contamination Factor (CF), Contamination Degree (CD), Pollution Load Index (PLI) and Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo) showed that the soil samples were not polluted for all the investigated metals. The Cd level in the soil (13.54 ± 1.21 mg·kg﹣1) and vegetables (0.83 ± 0.05 mg·kg﹣1) were above the USEPA critical permissible limit of 3.0 mg·kg﹣1 and 0.1 - 1.2 mg·kg﹣1 respectively. The daily intake of estimated selected heavy metals from the vegetable ranged from 8.8 × 10﹣03 to 1.4 × 10﹣02 for adult and 3.8 × 10﹣03 to 1.1 × 10﹣02 for children while the Hazard Quotient (HQ) for adults ranged from 5.4 × 10﹣05 to 1.1 × 10﹣01 and that of children ranged from 8.3 × 10﹣03 to 1.4 × 10﹣02. The cancer risk (CR) values of heavy metals in the soil ranged from 1.02 × 10﹣11 to 9.90 ×

Heavy Metal Speciation and Health Risk Assessment of Soil and Jute Mallow (Corchorus Olitorus) Collected From a Farm Settlement in Ikorodu, Lagos, Nigeria

Heavy Metal Speciation and Health Risk Assessment of Soil and Jute Mallow (Corchorus Olitorus) Collected From a Farm Settlement in Ikorodu, Lagos, Nigeria

Distribution and Health Risk Assessment of Trace Metals in Soils in the Golden Triangle of Southern Fujian Province, China.

In recent years, intensified industrialization and rapid urbanization have accelerated the accumulation of trace metals in topsoils of the Golden Triangle of Southern Fujian Province in China. Trace metals can cause adverse impacts on ecosystems and human health. In order to assess the ecological and human health risks of trace metals in the Golden Triangle region and to determine the distribution and degree of pollution of trace metals, 456 soil samples were collected from 28 districts. The concentrations of six metals (As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were analyzed to assess ecological risk using the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and the potential ecological risk index (RI). The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) model was applied to calculate health risk. The average soil concentrations of the six elements are ranked as follows: As < Ni < Cu < Cr < Pb < Zn. Inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation maps showed that Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn are enriched in the soils of developed areas, while As and Pb are enriched in the soils of undeveloped areas. The Igeo showed that the levels of metals in most soil samples are below polluting levels. Similarly, RI values indicated that trace metals pose low potential ecological risk in the region’s soils. The Hazard Quotient (HQ) ranked the mean total noncarcinogenic risk of the six metals, for both children and adults, as follows: As > Pb > Cr > Ni > Cu >Zn. The mean carcinogenic risk (CR) of the metals in the region’s soils are ranked as follows: Cr > As > Ni. The Hazard Index (HI) values indicated that 3.7% of soils contained unsafe levels of toxic metals for children and total carcinogenic risk (TCR) values indicated that 23.3% of soils contained unsafe levels, indicating that children are facing both noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks from trace metals. Principal component analysis (PCA) and matrix cluster analysis were used to identify pollution sources and classified trace metals and soil samples into two and five groups, respectively. The five groups represented the effects of different land use types, including agricultural area, residential and public area, industrial area, forest, and industrial area and roadside, based on the contents of trace metals in soils. Industrial, agricultural and traffic activities attribute to the enrichment of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the region’s soils. Moreover, the accumulation of As and Pb are also attributed to atmospheric deposition. These results can contribute to a better understanding of pollution, ecological risks, and human health risks from trace metals on large regional scales like the Golden Triangle of Southern Fujian Province.

Human health risks of metalloids and metals in muscle tissue of silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Valenciennes, 1844) from Lake Flag Boshielo, South Africa

The Olifants River, a major tributary of the Limpopo River, is one of the most polluted rivers in South Africa. Consequently, concerns regarding the human health impact of long-term consumption of fish from the Olifants River have been raised in recent studies. Nevertheless, Lake Flag Boshielo situated on the main stem of the Olifants River has been proposed as a site for an inland fishery. Planktivorous silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Valenciennes, 1844) is among the potential target species for such a fishery. Therefore, a desk-top human health risk assessment was conducted for silver carp from Lake Flag Boshielo. From January to November 2013, muscle samples from 50 specimens were collected and analysed for metals and metalloids. The hazard quotient based on a weekly meal of 150 g exceeded the acceptable level for As, Cd, Cr, Co, Pb, Hg, Se, V and Zn. Compared with previous studies from Lake Flag Boshielo, muscle tissue concentrations of As, Cr, Pb, Hg, Se, V and Zn for H. molitrix were higher. Based on the metal and metalloid concentrations reported in this study, long-term consumption of silver carp from Lake Flag Boshielo might pose a health risk to impoverished rural communities.

Source and Potential Health Risk of Trace Metals in the Urban Atmosphere

The objective of this study was to assess the seasonal variations and health risks of trace metal levels and investigate whether Pb isotope ratios can be used as an indicator of the source for trac...

Using multi-medium factors analysis to assess heavy metal health risks along the Yangtze River in Nanjing, Southeast China

In the environmental ecosystem, there are no absolutely isolated risks. Each risk might be influenced by multiple environmental factors and the factors’ interaction within the specific system. Hence, health risk assessments of heavy metal contamination must consider multiple environmental media and their transfer processes from one medium to another. Integrated assessments provide a new perspective for evaluating many factors, such as the potential ecological risks of soils, sediments, plants, and the transportation of heavy metals in these media, which influences the health risks. In this study, the main influencing factors for human health risk from heavy metals along the Yangtze River in Nanjing, Southeast China, were explored. The contents of five heavy metals were measured in sediment-soil-plant, including cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and chromium (Cr). The Cd displayed the highest potential ecological risk in soils and sediments, as it possessed high bioaccessibility (BA; 0.17 ± 0.211) and bioaccumulation factor (BCF; 0.35 ± 0.33). The 5.97% of the target hazard quotient (THQ) of Cd were higher than 1, indicating a potential health risk in plant consumption. Based on the geodetector model, determinant power (DP) valves for factors influencing health risk strongly suggest that plant types (0.479) has a highest effect, followed by soil organic matter (SOM; 0.292), and the BA of heavy metals (0.107). The results also indicate that pollution from the upper reaches of the river, and agricultural activities, had a greater impact on health risk than did industrial activities in the study area. Thus, regular monitoring and source control for Cd, along with integrated agricultural management practices should be implemented to control and reduce heavy metal inputs and improve the safety of cultivated plants.

Human exposure to trace elements via farmed and cage aggregated wild Axillary seabream (Pagellus acarne) in a copper alloy cage site in the Northern Aegean Sea

Axillary seabream (Pagellus acarne) farmed in a copper alloy mesh pen and wild individuals of P. acarne aggregated near the copper-alloy cages presented higher concentrations of trace metals in the liver, skin and gills than in fish muscle tissues in two batches of small and large fish sizes. Elevated mean levels of metals (mg kg−1) in muscle tissues in both small and large fish size groups were observed in the rank order of Zn(3.43) > Fe(3.01) > Cu(0.59) > Mn(0.13) and Fe(3.82) > Zn(3.32) > Cu(0.62) > Mn(0.17) for copper cage-farmed fish, relative to ranked mean levels for Zn(2.64) > Fe(1.95) > Cu(0.25) > Mn(0.09) and Fe(5.79) > Zn(3.58) > Cu(0.58) > Mn(0.28) for the copper cage-aggregated wild fish. Nevertheless, trace metal concentrations in fish harvested from the copper cage or those of the cage-aggregated wild individuals in both size groups were far below maximum levels of seafood safety recommended by USEPA and FAO/WHO. Target hazard quotients, calculated to estimate the non-carcinogenic health risks of metals by consuming these fish, were below “1″ (THQ < 1), indicating that there were no potential health risks for humans when consuming copper-caged fish or wild-caught individuals aggregated around the copper mesh pen, with respect to the limits suggested by US Food and Drug Administration and EU Regulations for Seafood Consumption.

Analysis of Heavy Metal Accumulation in Fish at Terengganu Coastal Area, Malaysia

Bioaccumulation of toxic metals in fish causes serious threats to human when they are consumed. Thus, the detection of toxic element concentration levels in aquatic component is important. The accumulation of some heavy metals such as Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn in fish were determined. Ten species (Selaroides leptolepis, Decapterus maraudsi, Epinephelus lanceolatus, Priacanthus tayenus, Rastrelliger, Megalaspis cordyla, Nibea soldado, Pristipomoides filamentosus, Bramidae and Siganus canaliculatus) were collected from Terengganu coastal area, Malaysia. The analysis was done using inductive coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) technique. In general, the concentration levels of heavy metals in fish samples are lower than the previous study in various locations. The highest average level of heavy metal recorded in fish is Fe followed by Zn, Mn, Cu, Cd and Pb. The metal concentration found in this study was lower than the national and international recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for human consumption except Fe (52.33 × 10-2 ± 6.39 × 10-2 mg kg-1) which exceeded the limit of 0.3 mg kg-1. Long term monitoring system of metal bioaccumulation in fishes need to be done to provide useful information for the assessment of the potential health risks of metals in Malaysia.

Potential endocrine-disrupting effects of metals via interference with glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors

As a result of human activities, the pollution of metals is becoming ubiquitous in the environment. Among various toxicological mechanisms of action, metals have been considered as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) through interference with steroid receptors. However, information regarding the potential endocrine disruption of metals on glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is especially scarce. In this study, a total of 16 metals were assessed for their GR/MR activities using luciferase reporter gene assay. None of the tested metals exhibited GR or MR agonistic activity, but a total of 7 and 5 candidate metals showed obvious GR and MR antagonistic properties, respectively. All 7 GR antagonistic metals [ BaCl2, CoCl2, CuCl2, Pb(NO3)2, LiCl, SnCl2 and ZnCl2] inhibited glucocorticoid-responsive gene GILZ expression in J774A.1 cells. Further investigations indicated that the 5 MR antagonistic metals [ CdCl2, Pb(NO3)2, LiCl, MnCl2 and SnCl2] antagonized aldosterone-inhibited hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation. Among these metals, Pb(NO3)2, LiCl, and SnCl2 showed both anti-glucocorticoid and anti-mineralocorticoid activities. Comprehensive screening and evaluation of GR and MR antagonists and agonists among metals should be considered to better understand the ecological and health risks of metals.

Phytoavailability, bioaccumulation, and human health risks of metal(loid) elements in an agroecosystem near a lead-zinc mine.

Soil near a Pb-Zn-Mn mine was polluted by mining, which may have an impact on human health via the food chain. To evaluate the pollution effects, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in vegetables were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission and mass spectrometry. Lead species were analyzed by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES). Phytoavailability of the elements was evaluated by bioaccumulation of the elements, the sequential extraction procedure, Pb species, and plant uptakes. The target health quotient (THQ) was calculated to evaluate the human health risks. It was found that (1) high concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, and Pb were detectable in vegetables, and bioaccumulation was in the order of Mn > Zn > Cr > Pb > Cu > As > Cd; (2) phytoavailability of the elements was controlled mainly by the soluble fraction, and a linear relationship observed between the soluble fraction and bioaccumulation; (3) a new Pb-fulvic acid complex (Pb-FA) was identified by XANES in rhizosphere soil, and high content of Pb organic matter (60%) and soluble Pb (18%) were found; (4) both Cd and Zn accumulated in both of the Amaranthaceae and the Apiaceae families, indicating that the plants in the same family have the same bioaccumulation trend for the elements in the same group; (5) agricultural activities and plant growing increased phytoavailability of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn by decreasing the residual and raising the soluble and extractable fractions; (6) arsenic is top of the high health risks, followed by Pb, Cd, and Mn. Coriander, celery, and spinach were the top three highest health risks in the area.

Contamination levels and health risk assessments of heavy metals in an oasis-desert zone: a case study in northwest China.

Rapid and extensive social and economic development has caused severe soil contamination by heavy metals in China. The spatial distribution, pollution levels, and health risks of metals were identified in an oasis-desert zone of northwest China. The mean concentrations of six heavy metals exceeded their corresponding background contents, and each metal concentration in farmland samples was higher than that in Gobi samples. Moreover, these heavy metals followed a similar spatial pattern and showed significant positive correlations with each other, indicating that they have the same sources. The contamination features of heavy metals and ecological risks were calculated using several quality indicators, and their health risks for population groups were quantified. The results showed that the Gobi and farmland soils were uncontaminated to moderately contaminated by heavy metals, and that farmland pollution was more serious than that of Gobi. The Gobi and farmland soils posed low ecological risks. As a whole, the non-carcinogenic risk which was caused by heavy metals was low for local residents, and the carcinogenic risk was within an acceptable level. Comparatively speaking, children were the more vulnerable population to health risks. The Zn and Cu pollution was relatively serious, and Cr and V were major contributors to health risks. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Assessment of ecological and human health risks of metals in urban road dust based on geochemical fractionation and potential bioavailability

Metals are one of the primary pollutants in the urban environment that pose adverse ecological and human health impacts. Therefore, the accurate quantification of the risk posed by metals is essential for developing effective risk management strategies to safeguard the urban environment. This study assessed the ecological and human health risks of six metals, commonly present in road dust by improving the original risk indices based on their potential bioavailability characteristics. The bioavailability of metals was determined by considering their distribution between the different geochemical phases of exchangeable, reducible, oxidisable and residual. The results of the modified risk analysis indicated that the road dust poses a low ecological risk in most of the study sites. According to the present situation, the non-cancer risk of individual metals for both, children and adults followed the decreasing trend of Pb > Cu > Cr > Zn > Ni > Cd. This study also found that depending on the particle size ranges, the potential of multiple metals being able to cause non-cancer health risk was low at most study sites. In terms of cancer health risk, Cr present at most of the study sites was found to be within the cancer threshold limit, even though the Cr content and the bioavailable fractions were relatively low.

Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks of metal(oid)s in tap water from Ilam city, Iran

One of the most important pathways for exposure to metals is drinking water ingestion. Chronic or acute exposure to metals can endanger the health of the exposed population, and hence, estimation of human health risks is crucial. In the current study for the first time, the concentrations of Mercury (Hg), Arsenic (As), Zinc (Zn), Lead (Pb) and Cobalt (Co) in 120 collected tap water samples (2015, July–November) from Ilam city, Iran were investigated using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Also, the metal-induced carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks for consumers exposed to tap drinking water were calculated. The average (range) concentrations of Hg, Zn, As, Pb and Co were defined as 0.40 ± 0.10 μg/L (ND-0.9 μg/L), 5014 ± 5707 μg/L (2900.00–5668.33 μg/L), 21.008 ± 2.876 μg/L (3.5–62 μg/L), 30.38 ± 5.56 μg/L (6–87 μg/L), and 11.34 ± 1.61 μg/L (0.1–50 μg/L), respectively. Average concentrations of all examined metals were significantly higher than WHO and national standard recommended limits. The ranking order of metals concentrations in the tap drinking water was Zn > Pb > As > Co > Hg. Except for Hg and Co, at least one age group consumers were at considerable non-carcinogenic risks induced by Zn, As and Pb [Target Hazard Quotient (THQ > 1)]. The rank order of age groups consumers based on THQ and Incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) was <1 years >1–9 years > 20 + years > 10–19 years. The calculated ILCR for As in all age groups were higher than 10−3 value. All age groups of consumers in Ilam city, especially infants (<1 years) and children (1–10 years), are at considerable non-carcinogenic and carcinogenesis risk.