Geochemical Contamination, Speciation, and Bioaccessibility of Trace Metals in Road Dust of a Megacity (Guangzhou) in Southern China: Implications for Human Health

Fei Tang, Zhi Li, Yanping Zhao, Jia Sun, Jianteng Sun, Zhenghui Liu, Tangfu Xiao and Jinli Cui ()
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Fei Tang: Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Zhi Li: Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Yanping Zhao: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Measurement and Emergency Test Technology, Institute of Analysis, China National Analytical Center, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
Jia Sun: Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Jianteng Sun: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Petrochemical Pollution Processes and Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming 525000, China
Zhenghui Liu: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Petrochemical Pollution Processes and Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming 525000, China
Tangfu Xiao: Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Jinli Cui: Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-15

Abstract: Road dust has been severely contaminated by trace metals and has become a major health risk to urban residents. However, there is a lack of information on bioaccessible trace metals in road dust, which is necessary for an accurate health risk assessment. In this study, we collected road dust samples from industrial areas, traffic intersections, and agricultural fields from a megacity (Guangzhou), China, and conducted a geochemical enrichment, speciation, and bioaccessibility-based health risk assessment of trace metals. In comparison with local soil background values, the results revealed a significant accumulation of trace metals, including Zn, Cd, Cu, and Pb in the road dust, which is considered moderate to heavy pollution. Sequential extraction indicated that most trace metals in the road dust were primarily composed of a Fe/Mn oxide-bound fraction, carbonate-bound fraction, and residual fraction, while the dominant fraction was the organic matter-bound fraction of Cu, and the residual fractions of As, Cr, and Ni. The in vitro gastrointestinal (IVG) method revealed that high percentages of Zn, Cd, Cu, and As were bioaccessible, suggesting the possible dissolution of trace metals from adsorbed and carbonate-associated fractions in road dust exposed to the biological fluid matrix. The IVG bioaccessibility-based concentration largely decreased the noncarcinogenic health risk to a negligible level. Nevertheless, the entire population is still exposed to the cumulative probability of a carcinogenic risk, which is primarily contributed to by As, Cd, Cr, and Pb. Future identification of the exact sources of these toxic metals would be helpful for the appropriate management of urban road dust contamination.

Keywords: bioaccessibility; chemical sequential extraction; health risk assessment; street dust; trace metal contamination (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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