Human health risk simulation and assessment of heavy metal contamination in a river affected by industrial activities

Hong-Giang Hoang; Chow-Feng Chiang; Chitsan Lin; Cheng-Yen Wu; Chia-Wei Lee; Nicholas Kiprotich Cheruiyot; Huu-Tuan Tran; Xuan-Thanh Bui

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117414

Human health risk simulation and assessment of heavy metal contamination in a river affected by industrial activities

Environ Pollut. 2021 Sep 15:285:117414. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117414. Epub 2021 May 19.

Authors

Hong-Giang Hoang¹, Chow-Feng Chiang², Chitsan Lin³, Cheng-Yen Wu², Chia-Wei Lee⁴, Nicholas Kiprotich Cheruiyot⁵, Huu-Tuan Tran⁶, Xuan-Thanh Bui⁷

Affiliations

¹ College of Maritime, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 81157, Taiwan; Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 81157, Taiwan.
² Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan.
³ College of Maritime, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 81157, Taiwan; Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 81157, Taiwan. Electronic address: ctlin@nkust.edu.tw.
⁴ Department of Safety, Health, and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 82445, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 81157, Taiwan.
⁶ College of Maritime, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 81157, Taiwan.
⁷ Key Laboratory of Advanced Waste Treatment Technology, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh (VNU-HCM), Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Viet Nam; Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Viet Nam.

PMID: 34049136
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117414

Abstract

The human health risks caused by heavy metal contamination (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Ni, and Zn) in the surface water of the Houjing River, the most contaminated river in southern Taiwan, were assessed in this study. Firstly, heavy metal contamination was evaluated by the contamination factors (CF) and the metal indexes (MI). Secondly, the human health risks due to heavy metal contamination were simulated using the Adaptive Risk Assessments Modeling System (ARAMS) through three scenarios; fish ingestion, dermal water contact, and incidental water ingestion during swimming. The hazard quotient (HQ) and the hazard index (HI) were used to evaluate non-carcinogenic risks, while carcinogenic risks were estimated by the lifetime cancer incidence risk index (CR) and the cumulative cancer risk (CCR). The results showed that the synergistic contamination of heavy metals in the surface water was severe (MI = 12.4), with the highest contribution from Cu, Ni, and Pb. Copper had the highest non-carcinogenic risk at the "adverse effect" level, while Ni and Cr had the highest carcinogenic risk at an "unacceptable" level. In addition, the cumulative risks of fish ingestion (HI_FI = 6.75 and CCR_FI = 1.25E-03) were significantly higher than those of the swimming scenarios (HI_{(DC + WI)} = 1.94E-03 and CCR_{(DC + WI)} = 9.32E-08). The results from this study will be beneficial for immediate and future contamination control measures and human health management plans for this study area. This study has also demonstrated the effectiveness of using ARAMS in human health risk assessment.

Keywords: Adaptive risk assessments modeling system (ARAMS); Cumulative cancer risk (CCR); Hazard index (HI); Hazard quotient (HQ); Lifetime cancer incidence risk (CR).

MeSH terms

Animals
China
Environmental Monitoring
Humans
Industry
Metals, Heavy* / analysis
Risk Assessment
Rivers*

Substances

Metals, Heavy