Rehman Abdul, Zhong Shan, Du Daolin, Zheng Xiaojun, Ijaz Samra, Haider Muhammad Irtaza Sajjad, Hussain Mudassar
School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, PR China.
School of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang , 212013, China.
Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 28;15(1):10673. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-95205-5.
To investigate the pollution characteristics, ecological and health risks assessment, and source apportionment of potentially toxic metal(loid)s (PTMs) in urban road dust, 140 dust samples collected from eight renowned roads of city Lahore, Pakistan. The geo-accumulation index (I) and enrichment factor (EF) were used for pollution characteristics, modified ecological risk index used for ecological risk assessment, the USEPA models used for health risk assessment, and multivariate statistical analyses were used for source apportionment of PTMs. The ranges of average concentrations (mgkg) in road dust Cd, Hg, Mo, and Pb were 1.91 (CR) to 3.35 (BR), 11.7 (JR) to 29.3 (MuR), 452 (JR) to 1115 (MuR), and 36.9 (MaR) to 110 (BR), respectively, which were several times higher than reference values. The Cd was moderate to highly polluted in road dust with highest I=2.58 from MuR and EF = 26.9 from CR. Whereas Hg and Mo were categorized as extremely polluted PTMs with mean I and EF values beyond the uppermost level (class 5). The road dust collected from mall road (MaR) was polluted with high levels of most of the PTMs among other roads. The adjacent areas of roads were at extreme ecological risks due to Cd, Hg, and Mo pollution. The employed statistical methods proved that PTMs pollution was induced severely by industrial, exhaustive, and non-exhaustive vehicular emissions in road dust. The Hg pollution in road dust was causing potential non-carcinogenic risks in children with HQing and HI higher than 1. No carcinogenic risk was found for both adults and children. The study helps to create awareness about PTMs' pollution and associated health concerns among public.
为了研究城市道路灰尘中潜在有毒金属（类金属）（PTMs）的污染特征、生态和健康风险评估以及来源分配，从巴基斯坦拉合尔市的八条著名道路收集了140个灰尘样本。采用地累积指数（I）和富集因子（EF）进行污染特征分析，采用修正的生态风险指数进行生态风险评估，采用美国环境保护局（USEPA）模型进行健康风险评估，并采用多元统计分析进行PTMs的来源分配。道路灰尘中镉（Cd）、汞（Hg）、钼（Mo）和铅（Pb）的平均浓度范围（mg/kg）分别为1.91（CR）至3.35（BR）、11.7（JR）至29.3（MuR）、452（JR）至1115（MuR）和36.9（MaR）至110（BR），均比参考值高出数倍。道路灰尘中的镉污染程度为中度至高度，其中MuR的I值最高，为2.58，CR的EF值为26.9。而汞和钼被归类为极度污染的PTMs，其平均I值和EF值超过最高水平（5级）。在其他道路中，从购物中心道路（MaR）收集的道路灰尘中大多数PTMs的污染水平较高。由于镉、汞和钼污染，道路周边地区面临极端生态风险。所采用的统计方法证明，道路灰尘中的PTMs污染主要由工业、详尽和非详尽的车辆排放造成。道路灰尘中的汞污染对儿童造成了潜在的非致癌风险，其危害商数（HQing）和危害指数（HI）高于1。未发现成人和儿童存在致癌风险。该研究有助于提高公众对PTMs污染及其相关健康问题的认识。
