Indoor dust presents an important source of daily exposure to toxic elements. The present study reports for the first time the levels of Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, Se, Sr, Tl, V, and Zn measured in dust samples collected from 10 kindergartens and 21 cars from Zagreb, Croatia. Based on the obtained data, we assessed the health risks from overall daily exposure to trace elements for children aged 2-6 years taking into account three pathways of dust intake-ingestion, dermal absorption, and inhalation. The median concentration of most elements was significantly higher in dust obtained from cars compared to kindergartens, especially in the cases of Co (11.62 vs. 3.60 mg kg-1 ), Cr (73.55 vs. 39.89 mg kg-1 ), Cu (186.33 vs. 26.01 mg kg-1 ), Mo (8.599 vs. 0.559 mg kg-1 ), Ni (37.05 vs. 17.38 mg kg-1 ), and Sn (9.238 vs. 1.159 mg kg-1 ). Oral intake was identified as the most important exposure pathway, except for Cr, Ni, and Sb where dermal contact was the main route of exposure. Health risk assessment indicated that no adverse effects are expected from overall exposure to trace elements. Although the cases of high exposure to toxic elements are not common in areas with no significant environmental pollutants, due to the health threat they may present even at low levels, their status should be carefully monitored.
Keywords: car; children; dust; exposure assessment; kindergarten; toxic elements.
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