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Characterization, possible sources and health risk assessment of PM2.5-bound Heavy Metals in the most industrial city of Iran

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Abstract

Air pollution associated with particulate matters results in different types of disease including allergy, lung destruction, heart failure, and related problems. This study has been designed and performed to examine the concentration of PM2.5-bound heavy metals, risk assessment, possible sources and effect of meteorological parameters on 17 sites of the air of the most industrial city of Iran (Karaj) in 2018-19. For this purpose, four samples were taken from every point of Karaj air over one year using a pump (Leland Legacy (SKC)) with flow rate of 3 L/min on PTFE filter for 24 h. Overall, 68 samples of PM2.5-bound heavy metals were collected. Note that during the sampling, atmospheric parameters including temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind speed were regularly recorded using PHB318 portable device. In examining the chemical composition of these particles, the concentration of metals (Al-Zn- Ar-Cd-Cr-Cu-Fe-Hg-Mn-Ni-Pb) was determined after digestion of the collected samples and through injection into ICP-OEC device. The results indicated that the mean annual concentration of PM2.5 particles range from 21.84 to 72.75 µg/m3. The mean concentration of heavy metals lied within the range of 25.63 to 336.27 ng/m3. Among heavy metals, the maximum concentration belonged to aluminum (277.95 ng/m3) and iron (336.27 ng/m3), which are known as elements with a ground source (sources such as car fuels, exhaust gases, decorative materials, batteries, indoor smoking, the paint used for painting walls, erosion and corrosion of rubber of cars). Meanwhile, there was a positive relationship between heavy metals and temperature(r: 0.418, p < 0.019), pressure (r: 0.184, p < 0.0.402), as well as wind speed (r: 0.38, p < 0.017), while an inverse relationship was observed with relative humidity (r: -0.219, p < 0.018). The ecological risk of the metals calculated was very notable, with the maximum environmental risk being related to cadmium in children (6.61) and manganese in adults (0.82). The largest HQ in children and adults was associated with Cr. Finally, ILCR values for cadmium in both children (1.19 E-04) and adult (4.81 E-04) groups indicated high risk of developing cancer in humans.

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Acknowledgements

This article is the result of MSc approved thesis, research project no. 33150. Thus, the authors are thankful for the funding provided by the Department of Environmental Health Engineering Research Center of Environmental Health Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences.

Funding

Support of this work by Recerch Center of Environmental Health Tecnology is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center of Environmental Health Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Majid Kermani, Ahmad Jonidi Jafari & Mitra Gholami

  2. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Majid Kermani, Ahmad Jonidi Jafari, Mitra Gholami & Farzad Fanaei

  3. Systems Environmental Health and Energy Research Center, the Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran

    Hossein Arfaeinia

  4. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health and Nutrition, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran

    Hossein Arfaeinia

  5. Environmental and Occupational Hazards Control Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Abbas Shahsavani

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  1. Majid Kermani
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Correspondence to Farzad Fanaei.

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Kermani, M., Jonidi Jafari, A., Gholami, M. et al. Characterization, possible sources and health risk assessment of PM2.5-bound Heavy Metals in the most industrial city of Iran. J Environ Health Sci Engineer 19, 151–163 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40201-020-00589-3

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