Health Risk Analysis of Elemental Components of an Industrially Emitted Respirable Particulate Matter in an Urban Area

Abstract

Particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) is a recognised carcinogen and a priority air pollutant owing to its respirable and toxic chemical components. There is a dearth of information in South Africa on cancer and non-cancer risks of exposure to heavy metal (HM) content of PM2.5. This study determined the seasonal concentration of HM in PM2.5 and the cancer and non-cancer risks of exposure to HM in PM2.5. Ambient PM2.5 was monitored and samples were collected during the winter and summer months in an industrialized area in South Africa. Concentration levels of nine HMs—As, Cu, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn—were determined in the PM2.5 samples using inductive coupled optical emission spectrophotometry. The non-cancer and cancer risks of each metal through the inhalation, ingestion and dermal routes were estimated using the Hazard Quotient and Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR), respectively, among infants, children, and adults. Mean concentration of each HM-bound PM2.5 was higher in winter than in summer. The probability of the HM to induce non-cancer effects was higher during winter than in summer. The mean ELCR for HMs in PM2.5 (5.24 × 10−2) was higher than the acceptable limit of 10−6 to 10−4. The carcinogenic risk from As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb were higher than the acceptable limit for all age groups. The risk levels for the carcinogenic HMs followed the order: Cr > As > Cd > Ni > Pb. The findings indicated that the concentrations of HM in PM2.5 demonstrated a season-dependent pattern and could trigger cancer and non-cancer health risks. The formulation of a regulatory standard for HM in South Africa and its enforcement will help in reducing human exposure to HM-bound PM2.5.

Year-long evaluation of aerosol chemistry and meteorological implications of PM2.5 in an urban area of the Brahmaputra Valley, India

“…Most of these elements are toxic and hazardous with non-carcinogenic (Ti, V, Mn, Co, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr, Zr, Mo, Sb, I, Cs, and Ba) and carcinogenic (Ni and Pb) properties. 44,45 Page 14 of 34 Environmental Science: Atmospheres The seasonal variation shows that the highest concentration of S, Cl, and K was in the winter season, followed by the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, indicating their sources of combustion of coal and biomass burning (Fig. 4).…”

Concentration Level and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in PM_2.5 in Ambient Air of Makkah City, Saudi Arabia

“…The probability of developing cancer because of human exposure to these carcinogens over the lifetime (ILCR) can be estimated using Eqs (9,10), and (11) for ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact respectively [37].…”

“…Health risk assessment (HRA) provides information to the concerned agencies helping them to take the best decision for abatement of environmental pollution and reducing its effects. Although there are uncertainties associated with using the health risk assessment model [37], HRA is important for the development of regulations and strategies to reduce chemical exposure for the protection of public health.…”

Long-Term (2003–2019) Air Quality, Climate Variables, and Human Health Consequences in Dhaka, Bangladesh

“…Exposure to PM 2.5 , PM 10 , CO, O 3 , NO 2 , and SO 2 and their adverse effects has been studied in this study through the US EPA human health risk assessment framework. This method has been employed in several previous studies to assess non-carcinogenic risk due to the criteria pollutants (Megido et al, 2017;Piersanti et al, 2018;Embiale et al, 2020;Mundackal and Ngole-jeme, 2020;Edlund et al, 2021;Morakinyo et al, 2021…”

“…where ET denotes exposure time (h/day), EF denotes exposure frequency (days/year), and DE denotes exposure period (year). Table 4 shows the estimated values of each variable used in this assessment for each population group in terms of acute and chronic exposure periods (Morakinyo et al, 2017(Morakinyo et al, , 2021Embiale et al, 2020).…”