Spatial assessment models to evaluate human health risk associated to soil potentially toxic elements

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Geochemistry
• Toxicology

Background:

• Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soil pose risks to human health and the environment.
• Accurate source apportionment and human health risk (HHR) assessment are crucial for effective soil management and pollution mitigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply an integrated method for quantifying PTEs source apportionment and associated HHR in soil.
• To identify major PTE sources and their contributions to HHR in a studied area.
• To map hazardous areas with high HHR using spatial simulation.

Main Methods:

• Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) for quantitative source apportionment of nine PTEs (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn).
• Health risk assessment combining source profiles and risk evaluation.
• Sequential Gaussian Simulation (SGS) for spatial identification of high HHR zones.

Main Results:

• Four major PTE sources were identified: natural/agricultural, industrial/traffic emissions, metals smelting/mining, and atmospheric deposition (coal combustion/coking).
• Natural and agricultural sources were the dominant contributors to PTEs and HHR for both children and adults.
• Industrial and traffic emissions significantly contributed to Cd, Pb, Se, and Zn.
• A small percentage (1.1%) of the total area was identified as hazardous with non-carcinogenic risks for children.

Conclusions:

• The integrated PMF-HRA-SGS method effectively quantifies PTEs source apportionment and HHR.
• Natural and agricultural activities are key drivers of PTE contamination and associated health risks in soils.
• Targeted mitigation strategies focusing on these primary sources are essential for reducing soil pollution and protecting human health.