[Distribution and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Atmospheric Particulate Matter and Dust]

Yong-Xiao Wang; Hong-Ying Cao; Ya-Jia Deng; Qian Zhang

doi:10.13227/j.hjkx.201702054

[Distribution and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Atmospheric Particulate Matter and Dust]

Huan Jing Ke Xue. 2017 Sep 8;38(9):3575-3584. doi: 10.13227/j.hjkx.201702054.

[Article in Chinese]

Authors

Yong-Xiao Wang^{1

2

3}, Hong-Ying Cao^{1

2}, Ya-Jia Deng^{1

2

3}, Qian Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
² Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
³ College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.

PMID: 29965235
DOI: 10.13227/j.hjkx.201702054

Abstract

In order to study the concentration, distribution characteristics, and health risk assessment of toxic heavy metals, Cu, Mn, Pb, Ti, V, Cd, Cr, Co, Mo, and Ni, in atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and dust, the PM and dust samples were collected in all four seasons in 2014 in Beijing using two high volume air samplers (Echo Tecora Inc., Italy) and a dust tank, respectively. Selected metals were quantified by ICP-MS. Annual average concentrations of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ were 153.40 μg·m^-3 and 232.93 μg·m^-3, which were five and three times higher than the Ambient Air Quality Standard values (GB 3095-2012), respectively. The average PM_2.5/PM₁₀ was 0.74, implying that PM_2.5 predominated the particulate matter concentrations. The results of backward trajectory analysis suggested that exogenous particles originated from the northwest, north-northeast, southeast, and southeast-northwest during winter, spring, summer, and autumn, respectively. The order of annual average concentrations of selected metals in PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ was Ti > Mn > Pb > Cu > Cr > Ni > V > Cd > Mo > Co. The sum of the concentrations of Ti, Mn, Pb, Cu, and Cr accounted for 91.93% and 92.49% of the total concentration of target metals in PM_2.5 and PM₁₀, respectively. The metal content of dust followed the order of Ti > Mn > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cr > V > Co > Mo > Cd and Ti (2561.48 μg·g^-1) accounted for 72.57% of the total metal content of dust. The geo-accumulation index (I_geo) of Cd, Pb, Cu, and Ni were 4.03, 2.49, 1.33, and 0.43, which represented the states of heavily to extremely contaminated, moderately to heavily contaminated, moderately contaminated and uncontaminated to moderately contaminated, respectively, indicating that dust in the target area included significant amounts of Cd, Pb, and Cu. The health risk assessment suggested that non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of selected metals in PM₁₀ and dust were within safe limits, but their long-term impact cannot be ignored.

Keywords: distribution characteristics; dust; health risk assessment; heavy metals; particulate matter.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants / analysis*
Beijing
Dust / analysis*
Environmental Monitoring
Humans
Metals, Heavy / analysis*
Particulate Matter
Risk Assessment*

Substances

Air Pollutants
Dust
Metals, Heavy
Particulate Matter