Assessment of potentially toxic elements in atmospheric dust and associated health risks in Zahedan City, Iran.

Zahedan City is situated in the Sistan basin, a highly active dust source region that poses significant risks to human and ecological health due to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) present in atmospheric dust. In this study, we investigated the concentration, sources, and human health risk assessment of PTEs in 88 monthly atmospheric dust samples collected between December 2020 and October 2021 using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results showed that the concentrations of PTEs in atmospheric dust followed the descending order of Mn > Zn > Ba > Sr > Cr > V > Ni > Cu > Pb > Co > As > Mo > Cd.