Seasonal source identification and source-specific health risk assessment of pollutants in road dust

Abstract

Human exposure to metals on road dust might have potential health risks through touching, ingesting, and inhaling. There were limited studies to link seasonal emission sources to health risks from metals on road dust. In this study, metals on road dust from different functional areas were seasonally monitored. The pollutant sources in study city varied slightly with the seasons, but the major pollutant source in the particular study site were significantly affected by the seasons. By combining the source apportionment model (PMF), line sources model and health risk models (HI: Hazard index and ILCR: Incremental Lifetime Carcinogenic risk), industrial and construction activity was identified as the crucial source of both the pollutants on road dust (29% -47%), and the HI for adults (27% -45%) and children (41% -50%) in different seasons.The traffic non-exhaust emission dominated in the carcinogenic risks for children in spring (45%) and summer (36%). Factors such as seasons, particle size, metal bioavailability, human exposure time, and exposure area were all taken into consideration to avoid overestimating or underestimating health risks. The carcinogenic risks for children (1.6 E-06) and adults (2.8 E-06) exposed to Cr both exceed the minimum threshold (10 -6 ). Measured metals mainly posed hazard to human health through ingestion route. Pb and Mn, Fe and Mn were the main harmful elements that induced non-carcinogenic risks for adults and children, respectively. Effectively identifying the source-specific health risks in different seasons will help in the formulation of adaptive strategies to diminish the potential risks.

Pollution and Health Risk Assessment of Hazardous Elements in Surface dust along an Urbanization Gradient

“…Surface dust is the "source" and "sink" of hazardous elements (HEs) in urban environments, which is closely related to urban ecosystem and human health [1,2]. The concentration of HEs in surface dust in many cities is increasing at an alarming rate, which has become one of the crucial ecoenvironmental problems in urban [3,4]. Increasing demand for metals in industries and urbanization process have strongly disturbed the natural geochemical cycling of the urban ecosystem [5,6], and urbanization processes can result in the accumulation of HEs in surface dust in urban ecosystems [7,8].…”

Pollution and Health Risk Assessment of Hazardous Elements in Surface Dust along an Urbanization Gradient

“…Surface dust is the "source" and "sink" of hazardous elements (HEs) in urban environments, and is closely related to the urban ecosystem and to human health [1,2]. The concentrations of HEs in urban surface dust have become one of the crucial ecoenvironmental problems in urban settings [3,4]. The increasing demand for metals in industries and urbanization processes can strongly disturb the natural geochemical cycling of HEs in urban ecosystem [5,6], and can result in the accumulation of HEs in surface dust in an urban environment [7,8].…”

Heavy Metal Pollution and Risk Assessment of Surface Dust in the Arid NW China

“…Urban surface dust (USD) is a pollutant consisting of one or more organic and inorganic particles with strong environmental indicator effects, and its sources are mainly influenced by a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors, such as industrial emissions, transportation, urban construction, municipal emissions, atmospheric deposition, and soil erosion [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. USD with high concentrations of heavy metals (HMs) poses serious risks to urban ecology and human health [ 7 , 8 ].…”