This study evaluates the bioaccessibility and health risks related to heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and metalloid As) in airborne dust samples (TSP and PM_2.5) in Zabol, Iran during the summer dust period, when peak concentration levels of PM are typically observed. High bioaccessibilities of carcinogenic metals in PM_2.5 (i.e. 53.3%, 48.6% and 47.6% for Ni, Cr and As, respectively) were calculated. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks were assessed for three exposure pathways (inhalation, ingestion and dermal contact), separately for children and adults. Non-carcinogenic inhalation risks were very high (Hazard Index: HI > 1) both for children and adults, while the carcinogenic risks were above the upper acceptable threshold of 10⁻⁴ for adults and marginally close (5.0–8.4 × 10⁻⁵) for children. High carcinogenic risks (>10⁻⁴) were found for the ingestion pathway both for children and adults, while HI values > 1 (8.2) were estimated for children. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk estimates for dermal contact were also above the limits considered acceptable, except for the carcinogenic risk for children (7.6 × 10⁻⁵). Higher non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks (integrated for all elements) were associated with the inhalation pathway in adults and children with the exception of carcinogenic risk for children, where the ingestion route remains the most important, while As was linked with the highest risks for nearly all exposure pathways. A comparative evaluation shows that health risks related with toxic elements in airborne particles in Sistan are among the highest reported in the world.

这项研究评估了伊朗Zabol夏季尘埃中空气尘埃样品（TSP和PM _2.5）中与重金属（Cd，Cr，Co，Cu，Mn，Ni，Pb，Zn和准金属As）相关的生物可及性和健康风险期间，通常会观察到PM的峰值浓度水平。计算出PM _2.5中致癌金属的高生物利用度（即Ni，Cr和As分别为53.3％，48.6％和47.6％）。对三种暴露途径（吸入，摄入和皮肤接触）分别评估了儿童和成人的致癌和非致癌健康风险。儿童和成人的非致癌吸入风险非常高（危险指数：HI> 1），而致癌风险则高于可接受的上限10 ^-4对于成人而言，儿童略微接近（5.0–8.4×10 ^-5）。儿童和成人的摄入途径均发现高致癌风险（> 10 ^-4），而儿童的HI值> 1（8.2）。皮肤接触的致癌和非致癌风险估计值也高于可接受的限值，但儿童的致癌风险为（7.6×10 ^-5）。成人和儿童的吸入途径与较高的非致癌和致癌风险（综合所有因素）有关，但对儿童的致癌风险除外，在儿童中，摄入途径仍然是最重要的，而砷与对儿童的最高风险相关几乎所有的暴露途径。一项比较评估表明，锡斯坦与空气中的颗粒物有毒元素有关的健康风险是世界上报道的最高风险之一。