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Human Health Risk Assessment of Mercury in Soil–Plants System

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Abstract

In this paper, the distribution of mercury (Hg) in agricultural soil and biological material (chard, cabbage, kale, moss and tree bark) collected from agricultural plots in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), was monitored. The method of atomic absorption spectrometry-cold vapor technique (CVAAS) was used for Hg analysis. By concentrations of Hg, all samples were arranged as the following diminishing series: soil > moss > chard > kale > cabbage > bark. Very strong correlation of Hg in cabbage, chard and kale was obtained, with correlation factor above 0.950. Bioconcentration factors (BCF) for plant materials were all below 1. The degree of Hg soil contamination ranged from the category of clean, unburdened soil to the category of Hg-contaminated soil. Human exposure to Hg through soil and vegetable consumption was also estimated. Contributor that most impacts the health risk is the ingestion followed by the dermal and inhalation pathways for both, children and adults. The probable weekly intake (PWI) values were all below 1 μg/kg body weight, suggesting that there is no potential health risk to the local residents.

Article Highlights

  • Mercury in soil and chard, cabbage, kale, moss and tree bark collected from agricultural plots in Sarajevo, was determined

  • Soil contamination ranged from the category of clean, unburdened soil to the category of mercury-contaminated soil

  • Correlation between Hg in soil and Hg in biological materials was, in the most of cases, very weak or weak

  • A lower bioconcentration factor was obtained for vegetables that were grown on soils with lower pH

  • The greatest contributor to health risk is the ingestion pathway, followed by the dermal route and by inhalation, for both children and adults

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Sarajevo, Zmaja od Bosne 33-35, 71000, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Dženana Ismičić-Tanjo, Jasna Huremović, Alisa Selović & Elma Šehović

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  1. Dženana Ismičić-Tanjo
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  2. Jasna Huremović
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  3. Alisa Selović
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  4. Elma Šehović
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Correspondence to Jasna Huremović.

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Ismičić-Tanjo, D., Huremović, J., Selović, A. et al. Human Health Risk Assessment of Mercury in Soil–Plants System. Int J Environ Res 15, 797–805 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41742-021-00357-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41742-021-00357-7

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