Assessment of Human Health Risks Posed by Soil Contamination with Heavy Metals and Arsenic in a City with the Developed Metalworking Industry

Abstract

Introduction: The study was conducted to assess health risks posed by soil pollution to the population of Kolchugino, one of the old industrial centers of the Vladimir Region. Objective: To assess carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks to the population of the city of Kolchugino caused by soil pollution with heavy metals and arsenic from metal works. Materials and Methods: Health risk assessment was conducted in accordance with Russian Guidelines R 2.1.10.3968–23 based on soil concentrations of gross forms of As, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn measured in the city of Kolchugino in 2023. Both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks from oral, inhalation, and dermal exposures were calculated by three age groups (children under 7 years of age, children aged 7–17 years, and adults aged 18 years and over). Statistical processing and mathematical calculations were performed using Microsoft Excel. Results: We established that values of the total carcinogenic risk were acceptable and ranged from 4.92×10–5 to 6.99×10–5. Ingestion was the priority route of exposure contributing the most to the carcinogenic risk and the total hazard index. The highest hazard indices were estimated for children under 7 years of age. Contamination of urban soils with heavy metals and arsenic posed the highest risks of disorders of the skin and of the nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, and endocrine systems in the population of Kolchugino. The limitations of the study were related to exposure estimates, reference doses, and slope factors. Conclusion: Our findings show that carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks posed by soil contamination in the industrial city of Kolchugino are within acceptable limits. The central nervous system, especially in children, is the most vulnerable to non-carcinogenic effects of heavy metals.