Human health risk simulation and assessment of heavy metal contamination in a river affected by industrial activities.

Environ Pollut

Key Laboratory of Advanced Waste Treatment Technology, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh (VNU-HCM), Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Viet Nam; Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Viet Nam.

Published: September 2021

AI Article Synopsis

  • - The study assessed health risks from heavy metal contamination (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Ni, Zn) in the Houjing River, southern Taiwan, using contamination factors and metal indexes to evaluate the severity of the pollution.
  • - Human health risks were simulated through three scenarios: fish ingestion, dermal water contact, and incidental water ingestion during swimming, with specific metrics like hazard quotient and cancer risk index used to quantify risks.
  • - Findings highlighted severe contamination, particularly from Cu, Ni, and Pb, with fish ingestion posing significantly higher health risks compared to swimming; these insights aim to guide future pollution control measures and health management strategies.

Article Abstract

The human health risks caused by heavy metal contamination (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Ni, and Zn) in the surface water of the Houjing River, the most contaminated river in southern Taiwan, were assessed in this study. Firstly, heavy metal contamination was evaluated by the contamination factors (CF) and the metal indexes (MI). Secondly, the human health risks due to heavy metal contamination were simulated using the Adaptive Risk Assessments Modeling System (ARAMS) through three scenarios; fish ingestion, dermal water contact, and incidental water ingestion during swimming. The hazard quotient (HQ) and the hazard index (HI) were used to evaluate non-carcinogenic risks, while carcinogenic risks were estimated by the lifetime cancer incidence risk index (CR) and the cumulative cancer risk (CCR). The results showed that the synergistic contamination of heavy metals in the surface water was severe (MI = 12.4), with the highest contribution from Cu, Ni, and Pb. Copper had the highest non-carcinogenic risk at the "adverse effect" level, while Ni and Cr had the highest carcinogenic risk at an "unacceptable" level. In addition, the cumulative risks of fish ingestion (HI = 6.75 and CCR = 1.25E-03) were significantly higher than those of the swimming scenarios (HI = 1.94E-03 and CCR = 9.32E-08). The results from this study will be beneficial for immediate and future contamination control measures and human health management plans for this study area. This study has also demonstrated the effectiveness of using ARAMS in human health risk assessment.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117414DOI Listing

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