Health risk assessment of odors emitted from urban wastewater pump stations in Tianjin,China

In order to evaluate the potential adverse health effects of odor emissions from wastewater pump stations (WWPSs) to human, a health risk assessment was performed to study the odors emitted from an urban WWPS in a residential area, Tianjin (in North China). First, 15 types of volatile organic compounds in the WWPS were collected and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Next, Monte Carlo probabilistic modeling was applied to evaluate the potential health effects of four odors (chlorobenzene, dichloromethane, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon disulfide), which had higher concentrations. The results revealed that the 95th percentile of the total non-carcinogenic risk was approximately 1.73, which poses a threat to human health. In addition, hydrogen sulfide had the highest non-carcinogenic risk value of the four; the hazard quotient of hydrogen sulfide was estimated to be 1.60 at the 95th percentile, higher than the upper confidence limit (1.0). The 95th percentile of the carcinogenic risk was approximately 5.47E-08, much lower than the maximum acceptable level (1.0E-06). Finally, the influence of the input variables on the output was evaluated using sensitivity analysis, and contaminant concentration, reference concentration, and inhalation unit risk were the most influential variables.     

Health risk assessment of exposure to organic matter from the use of reclaimed water in toilets

To estimate the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of six volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in reclaimed water used for flushing toilets, a probabilistic health risk assessment based on Monte Carlo simulations was used. Before Monte Carlo simulations, the contaminant volatilization model was applied to estimate the concentration of the pollutants in air. Moreover, a questionnaire was used to acquire daily exposure time and the Batch Fit tool of Crystal Ball software was applied to find the best-fitting distribution of a part of the input parameters. The risk analysis indicated that the health risks from six VOCs were lower than the negligible risk level (1?×?10^?8) in all cases, and the health risk for females was slightly higher than that for males. Overall, exposure to organic pollutants in reclaimed water during toilet flushing does not currently pose a significant carcinogenic risk to humans. In this study, we want to provide some information on the health risk from reclaimed water used for toilet flushing in China and hope that it will be useful to promote the application of reclaimed water in water-deficient areas.     

The Value of Monitoring for Radon in the Home: A Decision Analysis

In light of the recent publicity about the adverse health effects of radon gas, many citizens and government officials are considering whether or not to monitor for radon in homes. This paper presents a formal decision analysis of the monitoring dilemma from the perspective of hypothesized homeowners. The analysis considers the costs of radon monitoring and control, the carcinogenic risks of radon exposure, the demographics of household size, and a hypothetical homeowner's knowledge of radon exposure levels—with and without the benefit of specific monitoring data. Since monitoring every home in the United States would be quite expensive, the analysis reveals some more efficient monitoring strategies that might be employed by citizens and government officials. While the paper presents a new analytic perspective in the monitoring problem, the results should not be considered definitive. Further study is necessary to clarify precisely what is known about radon exposure, health effects, and control strategies.     

The carcinogenic risk of some organic vapors indoors: A theoretical survey

This exploratory report examines the risk of selected organic air pollutants measured in homes in the United States and the Netherlands. After several theoretical assumptions, estimates are made for the carcinogenic potency of each chemical; combined with the exposure measurements these give estimates of cancer risk. These estimates are compared with risks of these same pollutants outdoors and in drinking water and also with other well known indoor air pollutants: cigarette smoke, radon gas and formaldehyde. These comparisons indicate priorities for action. Some suggestions are made for future studies.     

Environmental–sanitary risk analysis procedure applied to artificial turf sports fields

Owing to the extensive use of artificial turfs worldwide, over the past 10 years there has been much discussion about the possible health and environmental problems originating from styrene-butadiene recycled rubber. In this paper, the authors performed a Tier 2 environmental–sanitary risk analysis on five artificial turf sports fields located in the city of Turin (Italy) with the aid of RISC4 software. Two receptors (adult player and child player) and three routes of exposure (direct contact with crumb rubber, contact with rainwater soaking the rubber mat, inhalation of dusts and gases from the artificial turf fields) were considered in the conceptual model. For all the fields and for all the routes, the cumulative carcinogenic risk proved to be lower than 10^?6 and the cumulative non-carcinogenic risk lower than 1. The outdoor inhalation of dusts and gases was the main route of exposure for both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic substances. The results given by the inhalation pathway were compared with those of a risk assessment carried out on citizens breathing gases and dusts from traffic emissions every day in Turin. For both classes of substances and for both receptors, the inhalation of atmospheric dusts and gases from vehicular traffic gave risk values of one order of magnitude higher than those due to playing soccer on an artificial field.     

Comparative analysis of health risk assessments for municipal waste combustors

Quantitative health risk assessments have been performed for a number of proposed municipal waste combustor (MWC) facilities over the past several years. This article presents the results of a comparative analysis of a total of 21 risk assessments, focusing on seven of the most comprehensive methodologies. The analysis concentrates on stack emissions of noncriteria pollutants and is comparative rather than critical in nature. Overall, the risk assessment methodologies used were similar whereas the assumptions and input values used varied from study to study. Some of this variability results directly from differences in site-specific characteristics, but much of it is due to absence of data, lack of field validation, lack of specific guidelines from regulatory agencies, and reliance on professional judgment. The results indicate that carcinogenic risks are more significant than chronic non-carcinogenic risks. In most instances polychlorodibenzodioxins, polychlorodibenzofurans, and cadmium contribute more significantly to the total carcinogenic risk from MWC stack emissions than other contaminants. In addition, the contribution to total risk of all indirect routes of exposure (ingestion and dermal contact) exceeds that of the direct inhalation route for most studies reviewed.     

Bioaccessibility and health risk of arsenic, mercury and other metals in urban street dusts from a mega-city, Nanjing, China

The oral bioaccessibility and the human health risks of As, Hg and other metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Cd, Cr, Mn, V and Fe) in urban street dusts from different land use districts in Nanjing (a mega-city), China were investigated. Both the total contents and the oral bioaccessibility estimated by the Simple Bioaccessibility Extraction Test (SBET) of the studied elements varied with street dusts from different land use districts. Cd, Zn, Mn, Pb, Hg and As showed high bioaccessibility. SBET-extractable contents of elements were significantly correlated with their total contents and the dust properties (pH, organic matter contents). The carcinogenic risk probability for As and Cr to children and adults were under the acceptable level (<1 × 10⁻⁴). Hazard Quotient values for single elements and Hazard Index values for all studied elements suggested potential non-carcinogenic health risk to children, but not to adults.     

Health risks of environmental exposure to metals and herbicides in the Pardo River,Brazil

Mixture of metals and herbicides in rivers may pose relevant risks for the health of surrounding communities. Humans may be exposed to river pollution through intake of contaminated water and fish, as well as irrigated agricultural products. The aim of this study was to assess the human health risks of environmental exposure to metals and herbicides through water and fish intake in the Pardo River. Metals (Al, As, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, Tl, Sn, V, and Zn) were analyzed in river water and in edible fish. Herbicides (ametryn, atrazine, diuron, hexazinone, simazine, and tebuthiuron) were analyzed in river water. Seasonal variances were also studied. Aluminum, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn levels in river water were higher than the USEPA benchmarks. Non-carcinogenic risks due to pollutants mixture exposure were above the limit, and carcinogenic risks of As exposure were >10^?6 in the sampling points during the rainy season. Metal levels in fish were lower than the Brazilian legislation and do not pose a threat to public health. Herbicides were detected in four sampling points, with atrazine concentrations (range 0.16–0.32 μg/L) below the Brazilian standard (2.0 μg/L), but above the European Union standard (0.1 μg/L). Considering the water supply needs of cities located in the Pardo River Basin and the persistence of metals and herbicides, the present study indicated that there was a seasonal influence on non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to human health, especially in the rainy season. Studies for water treatment plants implantation should consider the risks of exposure to persistent substances, in order to protect the population.     

Assessment of human health risks and pollution index for heavy metals in farmlands irrigated by effluents of stabilization ponds

Areas contaminated with heavy metals can pose major risks to human health and ecological environments. The aims of this study are to assess human health risk and pollution index for heavy metals in agricultural soils irrigated by effluents of stabilization ponds in Birjand, Iran. The results revealed that the levels of Cr, Mn, Zn, Fe, Cu, Cd, and Pb were in range of 70.3–149.65, 355–570, 31.15–98.45, 23,925–29,140, 22.75–25.95, 0.17–6.51, and 8.5–23.5 mg/kg in topsoils, respectively. Total hazard index values from heavy metals through three exposure routes for adults and children were 9.13E−01 and 1.10, respectively, indicating that there was non-carcinogenic risk for children. The total risk of carcinogenic metals (Cr, Cd, and Pb) through the three exposure routes for adults and children was 1.06E−04 and 9.76E−04, respectively, which indicates that the metals in the soil will not induce carcinogenic risks to these age groups. Pollution levels of heavy metals in soil samples including enrichment factor (EF), contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) showed heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils. The results of the present study provide basic information about heavy metal contamination control and human health risk assessment management in the study area.     

Toxic heavy metal contamination and risk assessment of street dust in small towns of Shanghai suburban area, China

The aims of this paper were to quantify the heavy metal concentrations in street dust of small towns in Shanghai suburban area compared with those in urban area, and examine their seasonal and spatial variations, and to assess their risks to water environment and local populations. Street dust samples were collected from three small towns and urban area in Shanghai in different seasons. Levels of heavy metals were determined by atomic adsorption spectrophotometer analyzer. The method of potential ecological risk index and the health risk assessment model were used to evaluate the potential risks to water bodies and local residents, respectively. The mean metal concentrations in street dust of small towns were far above soil background values but still lower than those in the urban area. No significant seasonal change was observed except for Cr, Ni, and Zn concentrations. Higher metal concentrations tended to be located in central area of towns and township roads. The integrated metal contamination was high and posed a strong potential ecological risk. Children had greater health risk than adults. The carcinogenic risk probabilities were under the acceptable level. The hazard index values to children were close to the safe level. Street dust from the studied area has been contaminated by heavy metals. The contamination of these elements is related more to the pollution source than seasonal change. The combination of the six metals may threaten the water environment and has non-cancer health risk to children, but not to adults.     

Health risk assessment of heavy metals in soil-plant system amended with biogas slurry in Taihu basin,China

Biogas slurry is a product of anaerobic digestion of manure that has been widely used as a soil fertilizer. Although the use for soil fertilizer is a cost-effective solution, it has been found that repeated use of biogas slurry that contains high heavy metal contents can cause pollution to the soil-plant system and risk to human health. The objective of this study was to investigate effects of biogas slurry on the soil-plant system and the human health. We analyzed the heavy metal concentrations (including As, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr and Cd) in 106 soil samples and 58 plant samples in a farmland amended with biogas slurry in Taihu basin, China. Based on the test results, we assessed the potential human health risk when biogas slurry containing heavy metals was used as a soil fertilizer. The test results indicated that the Cd and Pb concentrations in soils exceeded the contamination limits and Cd exhibited the highest soil-to-root migration potential. Among the 11 plants analyzed, Kalimeris indica had the highest heavy metal absorption capacity. The leafy vegetables showed higher uptake of heavy metals than non-leafy vegetables. The non-carcinogenic risks mainly resulted from As, Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn through plant ingestion exposure. The integrated carcinogenic risks were associated with Cr, As and Cd in which Cr showed the highest risk while Cd showed the lowest risk. Among all the heavy metals analyzed, As and Cd appeared to have a lifetime health threat, which thus should be attenuated during production of biogas slurry to mitigate the heavy metal contamination.     

Tracking chlordane compositional and chiral profiles in soil and vegetation

The cycling of chlordane and other persistent organic pollutants through the environment must be comprehensively elucidated to assess adequately the human health risks posed from such contaminants. In this study the compositional and chiral profiles of weathered chlordane residues in the soil and vegetative compartments were investigated in order to provide details of the fate and transport of this persistent pesticide. Zucchini was planted in a greenhouse in three bays containing chlordane-contaminated soil. At harvest the vegetation and soil were extracted and analyzed for chlordane content using chiral gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry. Both achiral and chiral chlordane components were quantified. The chlordane concentration in the rhizosphere (soil attached to roots) was significantly less than that in the bulk soil. However, the enantiomeric ratio of the chiral components and overall component ratios had changed little in the rhizosphere relative to the bulk soil. Significant levels of chlordane were detected in the vegetation, the amount varying in different plant tissues from a maximum in roots to a minimum in fruit. In addition to the chlordane concentration gradient in plant tissues, significant shifts in compositional profile, as indicated by the component ratios, and in chiral profile, as indicated by the enantiomeric ratio, of the contaminant were observed in the plant tissues. The data indicate that abiotic processes dominate the transport of the chlordane components through the soil to the plant. This is the first report of the effect of rapid biotic processes within the plant compartment on chlordane compositional and chiral profiles.     

Health and ecotoxicological risk assessment for human and aquatic organism exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Baiyangdian Lake

Seasonal and regional distributions of 17 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface waters from four different main water functional regions of the Baiyangdian Lake were analyzed through GC/MS/MS during spring and summer season. The aim was to identify their possible pollution sources and evaluate their health risk for human and ecotoxicological risk for aquatic organisms. Results showed that the range of total PAH concentration is 35.38–88.06 ng/L (average 46.57 ng/L) in spring and 25.64–301.41 ng/L (average 76.23 ng/L) in summer. PAH contamination was observed slightly lower in the summer season from the pollution characteristics of water bodies in most areas of the Baiyangdian Lake, and the levels of PAH pollution in the water body of urban residential regions and rural residential regions were relatively higher than those in tourist regions and low human disturbance regions. Source analysis based on diagnostic ratios confirmed that combustion sources and petroleum sources were two main sources for PAHs entering into the waters of the Baiyangdian Lake. Human health risk assessment showed that PAHs in surface waters from the Baiyangdian Lake will not cause a potential non-carcinogenic risk to local residents and the carcinogenic risk could mostly be accepted, but the potential lifetime carcinogenic risk for infants in rural residential regions should be concerned about. Urban residential regions and rural residential regions were subject to higher cumulative non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk when compared to the other functional regions. Ecotoxicological risk assessment found a moderate risk to aquatic organisms presented by individual PAH and a low risk by total PAHs, and PAHs in the water body of urban residential regions and rural residential regions also have relatively higher harm effects to aquatic organisms compared with the other two functional regions. This study revealed the pollution characteristics of PAHs and their possible sources in waters of the Baiyangdian Lake, clarified its correlation to regional anthropogenic activities, and provided corresponding risk management strategies for human and aquatic organisms.

     

A Comparison of Organic Emissions from Hazardous Waste Incinerators Versus the 1990 Toxics Release Inventory Air Releases

Incineration is often the preferred technology for disposing of hazardous waste and remediating Superfund sites. The effective implementation of this technology is frequently impeded by strong public opposition to hazardous waste incineration (HWI). One of the reasons cited for this opposition is the perception that the emission of organics pose an unreasonable threat to human health. While numerous risk assessments for these facilities have demonstrated that the risks from the inhalation of HWI emissions are very low, this has not totally allayed some of the concerns. In order to put organic emissions in perspective, the mass of these emissions from the incineration of hazardous waste on a national scale has been estimated using “reasonable worst-case” assumptions and compared to the 1990 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) air releases. Comparisons were made for 15 carcinogenic organic compounds and 17 non-carcinogenic organic compounds. Ratios for all but one of these compound-specific HWI emissions to their corresponding TRI air releases ranged from 0.0003 to 0.678 percent. The total mass emissions (110.5 tons) of all 32 specific organics from HWIs was less than 0.03 percent of the corresponding 1990 TRI air releases (431,586 tons).     

Trace metal element pollution of soil and water resources caused by small-scale metallic ore mining activities: a case study from a sphalerite mine in North China

Trace metal element contamination in mining areas is always a huge environmental challenge for the global mining industry. In this study, an abandoned sphalerite mine near the Yanshan Mountains was selected as subject to evaluate the soil and water contamination caused by small-scale mining. The results show that (1) Pearson correlation matrix and principal component analysis (PCA) results reveal that Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb were greatly affected by the operation of mines, especially mineral tailings. The contents of trace metal elements decrease with the increase of the distance from the mining area. Zinc, Pb, and Cd were discovered in almost all soil samples, and Zn accounted for about 80% of pollution of the topsoil. (2) The trace element pollution levels in the topsoil of the three villages were ranked as follows: Cd?>?Cu?>?Pb~Zn. The potential ecological risk of farmland around the mine ranges from lower to higher, with Cd being the most harmful. (3) Human health risk assessment results show that trace elements in the mining area pose obvious non-carcinogenic health risks to children while the risks to adults are not equally obvious. The carcinogenic risk of Cd and Cr is within a safe range and does not pose an obvious cancer risk to the population.

     

Removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from soil: a comparison between bioremoval and supercritical fluids extraction

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic substances which are resistant to environmental degradation due to their highly hydrophobic nature. Soils contaminated with PAHs pose potential risks to human and ecological health, therefore concern over their adverse effects have resulted in extensive studies on their removal from contaminated soils. The main purpose of this study was to compare experimental results of PAHs removal, from a natural certified soil polluted with PAHs, by biological methods (using bioaugmentation and biostimulation in a solid-state culture) with those from supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), using supercritical ethane as solvent. The comparison of results between the two methods showed that maximal removal of naphthalene, acenaphthene, fluorene, and chrysene was performed using bioremediation; however, for the rest of the PAHs considered (fluoranthene, pyrene, and benz(a)anthracene) SFE resulted more efficient. Although bioremediation achieved higher removal ratios for certain hydrocarbons and takes advantage of the increased rate of natural biological processes, it takes longer time (i.e. 36 d vs. half an hour) than SFE and it is best for 2-3 PAHs rings.     

Mixture risk assessment due to ingestion of arsenic,copper, and zinc from milkfish farmed in contaminated coastal areas

Human health risks associated with the consumption of metal-contaminated fish over extended periods have become a concern particularly in Taiwan, where fish is consumed on a large scale. This study applied the interaction-based hazard index (HI) to assess the mixture health risks for fishers and non-fishers who consume the arsenic (As), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) contaminated milkfish from As-contaminated coastal areas in Taiwan, taking into account joint toxic actions and potential toxic interactions. We showed that the interactions of As–Zn and Cu–Zn were antagonistic, whereas As–Cu interaction was additive. We found that HI estimates without interactions considered were 1.3–1.6 times higher than interactive HIs. Probability distributions of HI estimates for non-fishers were less than 1, whereas all 97.5%-tile HI estimates for fishers were >1. Analytical results revealed that the level of inorganic As in milkfish was the main contributor to HIs, indicating a health risk posed to consumers of fish farmed in As-contaminated areas. However, we found that Zn supplementation could significantly decrease As-induced risk of hematological effect by activating a Zn-dependent enzyme. In order to improve the accuracy of health risk due to exposure to multiple metals, further toxicological data, regular environmental monitoring, dietary survey, and refinement approaches for interactive risk assessment are warranted.     

Evaluating health risks posed by heavy metals to humans consuming blood cockles (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Anadara granosa</Emphasis>) from the Upper Gulf of Thailand

There is global concern about heavy metal contamination in the environment. Adverse health effects can be caused by heavy metals in contaminated food and water. Therefore, environmental monitoring studies and risk assessments should be conducted periodically. In this study, we measured levels of Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in blood cockles (Anadara granosa) collected from three locations in the Upper Gulf of Thailand. Hazard quotients and hazard indices were calculated to evaluate the health risks posed by heavy metals in consumed blood cockles. Heavy metal concentrations in all of the blood cockle samples were lower than the relevant food standards. The hazard quotients and hazard indices were <1 in all three sampling areas, indicating that adverse health effects were not likely to be caused by exposure to heavy metals in blood cockles over a human lifetime.     

Human exposure to dioxins through the diet in Catalonia,Spain: carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk

The main objectives of this study were to estimate the dietary intake of dioxins by the population of Catalonia, Spain, to determine which food groups showed the greatest contribution to this intake, and to assess the health risks potentially associated with the dietary dioxin intake. From June to August 2000, food samples were randomly acquired in seven cities of Catalonia. Dioxin concentrations were determined in 108 samples belonging to the following groups: vegetables, fruits, pulses, cereals, fish and shellfish, meats and meat products, eggs, milk and dairy products, and oils and fats. Estimates of average daily food consumption were obtained from recent studies. Total dietary intake of dioxins for the general population of Catalonia was estimated to be 95.4 pg WHO-TEQ/day (78.4 pg I-TEQ/day), with fish and shellfish (31%), diary products (25%), cereals (14%) and meat (13%) showing the greatest percentages of contribution to dioxin intake. The contribution of all the rest of food groups to the total dietary intake was under 20%. The non-carcinogenic risk index of dioxin intake through the diet was in the range 0.34-1.36, while the carcinogenic risk level was 1,360 excess cancer over a lifetime of 70 years. Our results corroborate the decreasing tendency in dietary intake of dioxins found in recent studies (2000-2001) from various countries.     

A framework for risk characterization of environmental pollutants.

Risk characterization is defined by both the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. EPA as the estimation of human health risk due to harmful (i.e., toxic or carcinogenic) substances or organisms. Risk characterization studies are accomplished by integrating quantitative exposure estimates and dose-response relationships with the qualitative results of hazard identification. A Risk Characterization Framework has been developed to encourage a systematic approach for analysis and presentation of risk estimates. This methodology subdivides the four common components of the risk assessment process into ten elements. Each of these elements is based on a term in a predictive risk equation. The equation allows independent computations of exposure, dose, lifetime individual risk, and risk to affected populations. All key assumptions in the predictive risk equation can be explicitly shown. This is important to understand the basis and inherent uncertainties of the risk estimation process. The systematic treatment of each of the ten elements in this framework aids in the difficult job of comparing risk estimates by different researchers using different methodologies. The Risk Characterization Framework has been applied to various indoor and outdoor air pollutants of a carcinogenic nature. With further development, it also promises to be applicable to noncarcinogenic effects.