Bioaccessibility-Based Fuzzy Health Risk Assessment and Integrated Management of Toxic Metals Through Multimedia
Siqi Xu1,2, Donghua Zhu1, Miao An1
1Research Center for Environment and Health, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan 430073, China.
Toxics
|October 28, 2025
Summary
Toxic metal health risks in Wuhan's Qingshan-Chemical District are high, especially from eating homegrown vegetables. Arsenic, cadmium, and lead ingestion pose significant carcinogenic risks, requiring targeted public health interventions.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Public Health
- Toxicology
Background:
- Urban industrial areas face complex environmental exposure risks from toxic elements (TEs).
- Limited studies address holistic public health risk assessment integrating multiple environmental media and bioaccessibility.
- The Qingshan-Chemical District (QCD) in Wuhan presents a case study for evaluating these integrated risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess hierarchical health risks of toxic metals in urban environmental media (air, dust, soil, vegetables) within the QCD.
- To develop an improved fuzzy health risk assessment model incorporating in vitro bioaccessibility and parameter uncertainties.
- To identify priority toxic metals and exposure pathways for targeted risk management.
Main Methods:
- Field sampling and chemical analysis of four environmental media: air particulate matter (PM), dust, soil, and vegetables.
- Application of an improved fuzzy health risk assessment model using toxic metals' in vitro bioaccessibilities.
- Utilized triangular fuzzy numbers to handle uncertainties in risk assessment parameters.
Main Results:
- Ingestion posed the highest health risks, particularly from consuming homegrown vegetables.
- Carcinogenic risks from ingested arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) exceeded thresholds, with As being the highest.
- Dermal exposure to As in soil and dust also presented elevated carcinogenic risks, while inhalation risks remained below thresholds.
Conclusions:
- Ingestion of homegrown vegetables and dermal contact with soil/dust are key exposure pathways for toxic metals in the QCD.
- Targeted interventions, such as relocating planting areas and establishing buffer zones, are crucial for mitigating public health risks.
- The developed fuzzy risk assessment model effectively handles uncertainties in evaluating complex urban environmental exposures.
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