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Heavy Metal(loid)s Contamination in Ground Dust and Associated Health Risks at a Former Indigenous Zinc Smelting Area

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Listed:
  • Shan Li

    (State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

  • Xiangyang Bi

    (State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China)

  • Zhonggen Li

    (State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
    School of Resources and Environment, Zunyi Normal College, Zunyi 563006, China)

  • Heng Wang

    (School of Public Management, Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, Guiyang 550025, China)

  • Xinyu Li

    (State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

  • Xinbin Feng

    (State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China)

  • Guangyi Sun

    (State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

  • Ji Chen

    (State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China)

  • Bo Meng

    (State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China)

Abstract

Indigenous zinc smelting (IZS) is a backward technique that releases a great deal of heavy metal(loid)s into the environment. However, the contamination of heavy metal(loid)s in ground dust and the associated health risks in such areas are poorly known. In this study, a former IZS area in Guizhou, China, was surveyed during 2008–2018 with 15 elements (Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, In, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, Tl, Zn) being analyzed. The results indicate that most elements (e.g., Ag, As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, Sn, Zn) in ground dust decreased significantly after the cessation of the IZS in 2006; nevertheless, some elements still remained at relatively high levels in 2018, e.g., Pb (average: 762 ± 647 mg/kg), Zn (average: 1287 ± 753 mg/kg), Cd (average: 7.76 ± 5.06 mg/kg), and As (average: 41.9 ± 34.8 mg/kg), indicating they might come from the local contaminated soils, slag residues and smelting potteries. In terms of the impacts on human health, children have both higher non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks than that of adults, with the latter subpopulation having a lower risk than the threshold values. Pb and As were the two elements with the highest non-carcinogenic risk for children, the hazard index of local children was still higher than the threshold of 1 (e.g., 1.43 for As, 2.09 for Pb) in 2018. The carcinogenic risk of As exposure to children dropped more than two times to 6.42 × 10 −7 in 2018, which falls below the tolerable range (10 −6 –10 −4 ). This study revealed that although the concentration of heavy metal(loid)s in ground dust and linked health risk in the IZS area has reduced dramatically after the cessation of IZS, continued removal of slag residues and smelting potteries is necessary for further decreasing the human health risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Shan Li & Xiangyang Bi & Zhonggen Li & Heng Wang & Xinyu Li & Xinbin Feng & Guangyi Sun & Ji Chen & Bo Meng, 2021. "Heavy Metal(loid)s Contamination in Ground Dust and Associated Health Risks at a Former Indigenous Zinc Smelting Area," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-15, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:3:p:893-:d:484110
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Carla Candeias & Estela Vicente & Mário Tomé & Fernando Rocha & Paula Ávila & Alves Célia, 2020. "Geochemical, Mineralogical and Morphological Characterisation of Road Dust and Associated Health Risks," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-18, February.
    2. Guangyi Sun & Zhonggen Li & Ting Liu & Ji Chen & Tingting Wu & Xinbin Feng, 2017. "Metal Exposure and Associated Health Risk to Human Beings by Street Dust in a Heavily Industrialized City of Hunan Province, Central China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-11, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jun-Xian Wang & Da-Mao Xu & Rong-Bing Fu & Jia-Peng Chen, 2021. "Bioavailability Assessment of Heavy Metals Using Various Multi-Element Extractants in an Indigenous Zinc Smelting Contaminated Site, Southwestern China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-11, August.

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