Sarkhosh Maryam, Najafpoor Ali Asghar, Rahdar Somayeh
Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2024 Nov 7. doi: 10.1007/s12011-024-04415-x.
This study investigated the concentrations and compositions of specific elements in total suspended particulate (TSP) samples and the associated ecological, carcinogenic, and non-carcinogenic risks related to the inhalation, ingestion, and dermal absorption of heavy metals. The study focused on adult and pediatric populations in the highly dust-polluted city of Zabol, Iran, during 2022-2023. The samples were analyzed by using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The concentration of metals in milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) was as follows: Al (75053) > Ca (8206) > Fe (5439) > Mg (5323) > Zn (15.27) > Pb (3.66) > Cr (3.38) > Cd (0.011); according to the results, the highest amount of metals related to aluminum and calcium in dust particles. The calculated individual indices, including the ecological risk index (ERI), pollution factor (Cfi), and geographic accumulation index (I), indicated that calcium exhibited minimal pollution, while the metal samples (Al, Mg, Fe, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Zn) were categorized as uncontaminated. The results revealed that the ecological risk factor (Er) is below 40, indicating a low level of contamination. Additionally, the pollution level determined by the ecological risk potential (RI) was less than 150, suggesting a low probability of contamination. Ingestion posed the highest average hazard quotient (HQ) values for both children and adults in terms of non-carcinogenic risk assessment, while cutaneous and inhalation exposures showed lower values. Furthermore, the hazard index (HI) for heavy metals remained below the safe threshold of 1. The risk index (RI) values for lead, cadmium, and chromium were all below 1 × 10 in both adult and pediatric populations. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) guidelines suggest an acceptable level of carcinogenicity for all heavy metals, indicating a potential risk of cancer associated with the presence of these metals in suspended particles in Zabol.
本研究调查了总悬浮颗粒物（TSP）样本中特定元素的浓度和组成，以及与重金属吸入、摄入和皮肤吸收相关的生态、致癌和非致癌风险。该研究聚焦于2022 - 2023年期间伊朗高度沙尘污染城市扎博勒的成人和儿童人群。通过电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法（ICP - OES）对样本进行分析。金属浓度以毫克每千克（mg/kg）计如下：铝（75053）＞钙（8206）＞铁（5439）＞镁（5323）＞锌（15.27）＞铅（3.66）＞铬（3.38）＞镉（0.011）；根据结果，粉尘颗粒中与铝和钙相关的金属含量最高。计算得出的个体指标，包括生态风险指数（ERI）、污染因子（Cfi）和地积累指数（I）表明，钙的污染极小，而金属样本（铝、镁、铁、镉、铬、铅和锌）被归类为未受污染。结果显示，生态风险因子（Er）低于40，表明污染程度较低。此外，由生态风险潜力（RI）确定的污染水平小于150，表明污染可能性较低。在非致癌风险评估方面，摄入对儿童和成人的平均危害商（HQ）值最高，而皮肤和吸入暴露的值较低。此外，重金属的危害指数（HI）仍低于安全阈值1。成人和儿童人群中铅、镉和铬的风险指数（RI）值均低于1×10。美国环境保护局（USEPA）指南表明所有重金属的致癌性可接受水平，这表明扎博勒悬浮颗粒中这些金属的存在与癌症潜在风险相关。
