Size-classified aerosol-bound heavy metals and their effects on human health risks in industrial and remote areas in Japan

Yayoi Inomata; Naoto Sasaki; Shunsuke Tanahashi; Takanori Fujimoto; Osamu Akasaka; Keisuke Fukushi; Sachika Natori; Yoshio Takahashi; Takafumi Seto

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133328

Size-classified aerosol-bound heavy metals and their effects on human health risks in industrial and remote areas in Japan

J Hazard Mater. 2024 Mar 15:466:133328. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133328. Epub 2023 Dec 30.

Authors

Yayoi Inomata¹, Naoto Sasaki², Shunsuke Tanahashi², Takanori Fujimoto³, Osamu Akasaka⁴, Keisuke Fukushi⁵, Sachika Natori⁶, Yoshio Takahashi⁷, Takafumi Seto²

Affiliations

¹ Institute and Nature Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan. Electronic address: yinomata@se.kanazawa-u.ac.jp.
² Faculty of Frontier Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan.
³ Industrial Device Business Division Panasonic Industry Co,. Ltd.7-1-1 Morofuku, Daito City, Osaka 574-0044, Japan.
⁴ Faculty of Frontier Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan; Industrial Device Business Division Panasonic Industry Co,. Ltd.7-1-1 Morofuku, Daito City, Osaka 574-0044, Japan.
⁵ Institute and Nature Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan.
⁶ Inorganic Standards Group, The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8560, Japan; Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
⁷ Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.

PMID: 38290336
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133328

Abstract

Airborne aerosols were collected in six size classes (PM_<0.1, PM_0.1-0.5, PM_0.5-1, PM_1-2.5, PM_2.5-10 and PM_>10) to investigate aerosol health risks in remote and industrial areas in Japan. We focused on heavy metals and their water-dispersed fractions. The average concentration of heavy metals was 18 ± 25-86 ± 48 ngm^-3 for PM_<0.1, 46 ± 19-154 ± 80 for PM_0.5-1 ngm^-3, 98 ± 49-422 ± 186 ngm^-3 for PM_1-2.5, 321 ± 305-1288 ± 727 ngm^-3 for PM_2.5-10 and 65 ± 52-914 ± 339 ngm^-3 or PM_>10, and these concentrations were higher in industrial areas. Heavy metals emitted from domestic anthropogenic sources were added to the long-range transport component of the aerosols. The water-dispersed fraction of heavy metals contained 3.3-40.1% of the total heavy metals in each size class. The relative contribution of Zn and other species (As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Mn, V and Cu) increased in the water-dispersed fraction. Smaller particles contained greater proportions of the water-dispersed heavy metal fraction. Carcinogenic risk (CR) and the hazard index (HI) were estimated for each size class. The CR of carcinogens was at acceptable levels (<1 ×10^-6) for five particle size fractions. The HI values for carcinogens and noncarcinogens were also below acceptable levels (<1) for the same five size fractions. The estimated CR and HI values were dominated by contributions from the inhalation process.

Keywords: Aerosol; Health risk; Heavy metals; Transboundary transport; Ultra-fine particle.

MeSH terms

Aerosols / toxicity
Carcinogens / analysis
China
Environmental Monitoring
Humans
Japan
Metals, Heavy* / analysis
Metals, Heavy* / toxicity
Risk Assessment
Water

Substances

Metals, Heavy
Carcinogens
Aerosols
Water