Assessment of pollution levels and human health risk of heavy metals in dust deposited on Yerevan’s tree leaves (Armenia)

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• 作者：N. Maghakyan ; G. Tepanosyan ; O. Belyaeva ; L. Sahakyan ; A. Saghatelyan
• 关键词：Urban dust ; Heavy metals ; Pollution levels ; Health risk assessment
• 刊名：Acta Geochimica
• 出版年：2017
• 出版时间：March 2017
• 年：2017
• 卷：36
• 期：1
• 页码：16-26
• 全文大小：
• 刊物主题：Geochemistry;
• 出版者：Science Press
• ISSN：2365-7499
• 卷排序：36

文摘

The total concentrations of Cd, As, Pb, Cr, Ni, Co, Zn, Cu, Ag, Hg, and Mo were determined in the atmospheric dust of the city of Yerevan by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAnalyst PE 800). Heavy metal pollution levels were evaluated by calculating geo-accumulation (I_geo) and summary pollution (Z_c) indices. Potential human health risk was assessed using the United States Environmental Protection agency’s human health risk assessment model. The results show that mean contents of all elements tested except Ni and Cr were substantially higher than local geochemical background values. According to the I_geo, Yerevan territory is strongly-to-extremely polluted by As, Ag, Hg, Mo, and Cd. The Z_c assessment indicated that very high pollution was detected in 36 % of samples, high in 32 %, average in 12 %, and low in 20 %. The health risk assessment revealed a non-carcinogenic risk (HI >1) for children at 13 samplings sites and for adults at one sampling site. For children the risk was due to elevated levels of Mo, Cd, Co, and As, while for adults, only Mo. Carcinogenic risk (>1:1,000,000) of As and Cr via ingestion pathway was observed in 25 and 14 samples, respectively. This study, therefore, is the base for further detailed investigations to organize problematic site remediation and risk reduction measures.