Evolution of human health risk based on EPA modeling for adults and children and pollution level of potentially toxic metals in Rafsanjan road dust: a case study in a semi-arid region, Iran

Abstract

Humans can be directly exposed to potentially toxic metals in the urban environment via inhalation, ingestion, or dermal contact of dust particles. This paper focuses on human health risk assessment of urban dust contaminated with potentially toxic metals. The levels, sources, and human health risks of nine potentially toxic metals (i.e., As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Co, Mn, and Zn) in 200 road dust samples from Rafsanjan area were investigated. Pollution level was assessed using the pollution index (PI) and geoaccumulation index (I_geo), and the health risk assessment was performed following the methodology described by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The mean concentrations of As, Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Zn, Co, and Mn in road dust were 105.3 ± 5.7, 791.4 ± 29.8, 123.1 ± 9.7, 28.4 ± 3.3, 3.1 ± 0.6, 18.4 ± 1.6, 252.6 ± 8.3, 16.5 ± 1.4, and 525.9 ± 21.0 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Thus, the concentrations of potentially toxic metals in road dust were higher than their corresponding natural background values, indicating that all studied potentially toxic metals were impacted by anthropogenic activities. The results of the current study are comparable to other studies conducted on road dust in other cities worldwide. Both of I_geo and PI decreased following order Cu > Mn > Pb > As > Zn > Cd > Ni > Cr > Co. Health risk assessment indicated that both of children and adults could be exposed to a potential increased risk of developing cancer over a lifetime from exposure to arsenic through ingestion of the dust samples. However, Pb ingestion can increase cancer risk in children.