Chemical Fractionation, Environmental, and Human Health Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soil of Industrialised Urban Areas in Serbia
2021
Authors:
Pavlović, DraganaMatić, Marija
Perović, Veljko
Miletić, Zorana
Čakmak, Dragan
Mitrović, Miroslava
Pavlović, Pavle
Document Type:
Article (Published version)
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract:
The primary focus of this research was the chemical fractionation of potentially toxic
elements (PTEs) and their presence in several industrialised cities in Serbia. Furthermore, their
origin, contamination levels, and environmental and human health risks were assessed. The results
indicated that the examined soils were characterised by slightly higher Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn levels than
those set by European and national regulations. These elevated Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations were
caused by intensive traffic and proximity to industry, whereas the higher Ni levels were a result of
the specific geological substrate of the soil in the study area. The environmental risk was found to
be low and there was no enrichment/contamination of the soil with these elements, except in the
case of Pb, for which moderate to significant enrichment was found. Lead also poses a potential
non-carcinogenic risk to children through ingestion and requires special attention due to the fact
that a significant proportion of this element was present in the tested soil samples in a potentially
available form. Analysis of the health risks showed that children are more at risk than adults from
contaminants and that ingestion is the riskiest exposure route. The carcinogenic risk was within the
acceptable limits.
Keywords:
urban soils; potentially toxic elements (PTEs); sources of PTEs; sequential extraction; mobility; health risk assessmentSource:
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021, 18, 17, 9412-Funding / projects:
- Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, institutional funding - 200007 (University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković') (RS-MESTD-inst-2020-200007)
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18179412
ISSN: 1660-4601
PubMed: 34501997