Health risk due to heavy metal(loid)s exposure through fine particulate matter and sedimented dust in people living next to a beach contaminated by mine tailings

• Cáceres, Dante D. ^[1] ; Flores-Jimenez, Paulina ^[4] ; Hernández, Kelly ^[5] ; Peres, Frederico ^[6] ; Maldonado, Ana K. ^[1] ; Klarián, José ^[2] ; Cáceres, Dante A. ^[3]
  1. [1] Universidad de Chile

     Universidad de Chile

     Santiago, Chile

     
  2. [2] Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana

     Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana

     Santiago, Chile

     
  3. [3] Universidad Austral de Chile

     Universidad Austral de Chile

     Valdivia, Chile

     
  4. [4] 1. International Exchange Program for Minority Student. Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA2. Institute for Public Health. Global Health Center. Washington University in St. Louis. 1 Brookings Dr, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
  5. [5] 1. International Exchange Program for Minority Student. Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.2. University of California Irvine School of Medicine: Irvine, CA 92617, USA
  6. [6] Centro de Estudios de Salud del Trabajador y Ecología Humana, Escuela Nacional de Salud Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundación Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21040-900, Brasil

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• Localización: Revista Internacional de Contaminación Ambiental, ISSN 0188-4999, Nº. 37, 2021, págs. 211-226
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The non-carcinogenic hazard index (HI) and the carcinogenic risk index (CRI) due to exposure to metal(loid)s were assessed in children and adults living adjacent to a beach contaminated with mine tailings. Chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) were determined in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and sedimented dust (SD) in school and residential microenvironments. The HI in children was 13.8, 8.1, 5.4, 2.4, 2.3 and 1.8-times greater than the safety threshold (1.0) for Cr, As, Pb, Mn, Cu, and Cd, respectively; 84.1 % explained by dermal contact and 10.9 % by ingestion of SD. The CRI for Cr and As was 3.7 and 3.2 times above the acceptable risk (> 1 × 10–4), explained by the inhalation of PM2.5 and SD, respectively. In adults, the CRI for As and Cr was 46.0 and 2.8 times greater than 1 × 10–4; As risk is explained by dermal contact and inhalation of SD, and Cr by inhalation of PM2.5. This study reports a high risk of potential adverse health effects on children and adults due to exposure to these elements present in the particles and dust studied.