Health risk assessment of the European inhabitants exposed to contaminated ambient particulate matter by potentially toxic elements

Parya Broomandi; Andrés Rodríguez-Seijo; Nasime Janatian; Aram Fathian; Aidana Tleuken; Kaveh Mohammadpour; David Galán-Madruga; Ali Jahanbakhshi; Jong Ryeol Kim; Alfrendo Satyanaga; Mehdi Bagheri; Lidia Morawska

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121232

Health risk assessment of the European inhabitants exposed to contaminated ambient particulate matter by potentially toxic elements

Environ Pollut. 2023 Apr 15:323:121232. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121232. Epub 2023 Feb 10.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Kabanbay Batyr Ave. 53, Nur-Sultan, 010000, Kazakhstan; Department of Chemical Engineering, Masjed-Soleiman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Masjed-Soleiman, Iran.
² Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros Do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos S/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal; Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia Do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias de Ourense, Universidade de Vigo, As Lagoas S/n, Ourense, 32004, Spain.
³ Department of Marine Systems, Division of Modelling and Remote Sensing, Tallinn University of Technology (Taltech), Tallinn, Estonia.
⁴ Neotectonics and Natural Hazards Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; UNESCO Chair on Coastal Geo-Hazard Analysis, Research Institute for Earth Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Water, Sediment, Hazards, And Earth-surface Dynamics (waterSHED) Lab, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Canada.
⁵ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Kabanbay Batyr Ave. 53, Nur-Sultan, 010000, Kazakhstan.
⁶ Department of Climatology, Faculty of Geographical Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran; Climate Change Technology Transfer to Developing Countries Group (SSPT-PVS), Department of Sustainability, Italian National Agency for New Technologies Energy and Sustainable Development, ENEA, C. R. Casaccia, 00123, Rome, Italy.
⁷ Department of Atmospheric Pollution, National Centre for Environment Health, Health Institute Carlos III, Ctra. Majadahonda a Pozuelo Km 2.2, 28220, Madrid, Spain.
⁸ School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
⁹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Kabanbay Batyr Ave. 53, Nur-Sultan, 010000, Kazakhstan. Electronic address: jong.kim@nu.edu.kz.
¹⁰ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Kabanbay Batyr Ave. 53, Nur-Sultan, 010000, Kazakhstan.
¹¹ International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia; Global Centre for Clean Air Research, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom.

PMID: 36775135
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121232

Abstract

PM₁₀-associated potential toxic elements (PTEs) can enter the respiratory system and cause health problems. In the current study, the health risk indices caused by PM₁₀ inhalation by adults, children, and infants in 158 European cities between 2013 and 2019 were studied to determine if Europeans were adversely affected by carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic factors or not. The Mann-Kendall trend test examined PM₁₀'s increasing or decreasing trend. Random Forest analysis was also used to analyse meteorological factors affecting PM₁₀ in Europe. Hazard quotient and cancer risk were estimated using PM₁₀-associated PTEs. Our results showed a decline in continental PM₁₀ concentrations. The correlation between PM₁₀ concentrations and temperature (-0.40), PBLH (-0.39), and precipitation were statistically strong (-0.21). The estimated Pearson correlation coefficients showed a statistically strong positive correlation between As & Pb, As & Cd, and Cd & Pb during 2013-2019, indicating a similar origin. PTEs with hazard quotients below one, regardless of subpopulation type, posed no noncancerous risk to Europeans. The hazard quotient values positively correlated with time, possibly due to elevated PTE levels. In our study on carcinogen pollution in Europe between 2013 and 2019, we found unacceptable levels of As, Cd, Ni, and Pb among adults, children, and infants. Carcinogenic risk rates were highest for children, followed by infants, adult women, and adult men. Therefore, besides monitoring and mitigating PM concentrations, effective control of PM sources is also needed.

Keywords: Air pollution; Cancer risk; Europe; Health risks; Inhalation; Particulate matter; Potential toxic elements (PTEs).

MeSH terms

Adult
Air Pollutants* / analysis
Cadmium / analysis
Carcinogenesis
Carcinogens / analysis
Child
Environmental Monitoring / methods
Female
Humans
Infant
Lead / analysis
Male
Metals, Heavy* / analysis
Particulate Matter / analysis
Risk Assessment / methods

Substances

Particulate Matter
Air Pollutants
Cadmium
Lead
Carcinogens
Metals, Heavy