A comprehensive study of attic dust in an urban area is presented. Its entire life cycle, from determining historical emission sources to recognising the processes that take place in attic dust and its potential to impact human health is discussed. Its chemical composition and morphological characteristics of individual solid particles reflect past anthropogenic activities. High levels of Be-Cd-Cu-Sb-Sn-Pb-Te-Zn and occurrence of Cu-Zn shavings are typical for an industrial zone characterised by a foundry and a battery factory. High levels of Co-Fe-Mo-Ni-W-Ba-Cr-Mg-Mn-Nb-Ti and occurrence of various solid Fe-oxides, particularly spherical particles, were identified in another industrial zone, which was dominated by the automotive and metal-processing industries. Emissions from coal combustion affected the distribution of S-Se-Hg-Tl-As-Ag-U. The predominant mineral in attic dust is gypsum, which was presumably formed in situ by the reaction of carbonate dust particles and atmospheric SO gas. The high oral bioaccessibility of As-Cd-Cu-Pb-Zn in the gastric phase and high bioaccessibility of As-Cu-Cd-Ni in the gastrointestinal phase were identified. Determined characteristics of attic dust and identified possibilities of prolonged human exposure to it indicate that attic dust should be treated as an excellent proxy for historical air contamination as well as a potentially hazardous material for human health.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128745 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Oral bioaccessibility of potentially toxic elements in various urban environmental media.
Environ Geochem Health
June 2024
Geological Survey of Slovenia, Dimičeva Ulica 14, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
An important aspect of geochemical studies is determining health hazard of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Key information on PTEs behaviour in the human body in case of their ingestion is provided with the use of in vitro bioaccessibility tests. We analysed and compared oral bioaccessibility of a wide range of PTEs (As, Cd, Ce, Cr, Cu, Hg, La, Li, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, Zn), including some that are not often studied but might pose a human health hazard, in soil, attic dust, street dust, and household dust, using Unified BARGE Method (UBM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDistribution and impacts of contamination by natural and artificial radionuclides in attic dust and urban soil samples from a former industrial Hungarian city: A case study from Salgótarján.
J Environ Radioact
December 2023
Lithosphere Fluid Research Laboratory, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science, HUN-REN, Csatkai E. u. 6-8, 9400, Sopron, Hungary. Electronic address:
Primordial radionuclides can be found in all environmental compartments. Since coal-fired power plants (CFPP) can be a source of additional radionuclide contamination because coal contains natural radioactive isotopes such as U (Ra) and Th. This study investigated the impact of such possible radionuclide contamination from former heavy industrial activities, namely a former local coal-fired power plant, in urban soils and attic dust in Salgótarján, Hungary.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLevels and distribution of chemical elements in house dust from the area of an abandoned Pb-Zn smelter in North Macedonia.
J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng
March 2023
Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Sts. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
The content of 41 chemical elements (Ag, Al, As, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Hf, In, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nd, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Sr, Tb, Th, Ti, Tm, U, V, W, and Zn) was determined in attic dust, household dust and soil samples collected from 33 houses in the area of the town of Veles, North Macedonia. Silver, Cd, Cu, Li, P, and, Pb were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma - atomic emission spectrometry while the other elements were analyzed by neutron activation analysis. The study area has been continuously exposed to high amounts of potentially toxic elements due to the emission from an abandoned Pb-Zn smelter plant.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActivity concentration of Cs in undisturbed attic dust collected from Salgótarján and Ózd (northern Hungary).
J Environ Radioact
October 2022
Lithosphere Fluid Research Laboratory, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Csatkai E. u. 6-8, 9400, Sopron, Hungary. Electronic address:
Due to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, contaminated air masses, containing Cs, were widely propagated across all of Europe. Cesium-137 is easily adsorbed on aerosol particles as it returns to the lithosphere/pedosphere/via wet and dry deposition in the form of a radioactive fallout component. Following the nuclear accident, primary attention was paid to agricultural areas and less to urban environments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAttic dust: an archive of historical air contamination of the urban environment and potential hazard to health?
J Hazard Mater
June 2022
Geological Survey of Slovenia, Dimičeva ulica 14, Ljubljana SI-1000, Slovenia. Electronic address:
A comprehensive study of attic dust in an urban area is presented. Its entire life cycle, from determining historical emission sources to recognising the processes that take place in attic dust and its potential to impact human health is discussed. Its chemical composition and morphological characteristics of individual solid particles reflect past anthropogenic activities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!