Health risk assessment of trace metal(loid)s in agricultural soils based on Monte Carlo simulation coupled with positive matrix factorization model in Chongqing, southwest China

This study aimed to investigate the pollution characteristics, source apportionment, and health risks associated with trace metal(loid)s(TMs) in the major agricultural producing areas in Chongqing, China. We analyzed the source apportionment and assessed the health risk of TMs in agricultural soils by using positive matrix factorization(PMF) model and health risk assessment(HRA) model based on Monte Carlo simulation. Meanwhile, we combined PMF and HRA models to explore the health risks of TMs in agricultural soils by different pollution sources to determine the priority control factors. Results showed that the average contents of cadmium(Cd), arsenic (As), lead(Pb), chromium(Cr), copper(Cu), nickel(Ni), and zinc(Zn) in the soil were found to be 0.26, 5.93, 27.14, 61.32, 23.81, 32.45, and 78.65 mg/kg, respectively. Spatial analysis and source apportionment analysis revealed that urban and industrial sources, agricultural sources, and natural sources accounted for 33.0%, 27.7%, and 39.3% of TM accumulation in the soil, respectively. In the HRA model based on Monte Carlo simulation, noncarcinogenic risks were deemed negligible(hazard index <1), the carcinogenic risks were at acceptable level(10^(-6)<total carcinogenic risk ≤ 10^(-4)), with higher risks observed for children compared to adults. The relationship between TMs, their sources, and health risks indicated that urban and industrial sources were primarily associated with As, contributing to 75.1% of carcinogenic risks and 55.7% of non-carcinogenic risks, making them the primary control factors. Meanwhile, agricultural sources were primarily linked to Cd and Pb, contributing to 13.1% of carcinogenic risks and 21.8% of non-carcinogenic risks, designating them as secondary control factors.

Health Risk Assessment of Employees Exposed to Chlorination By-products of Recreational Water in Large Amusement Parks in Shanghai

Objective Chlorination is often used to disinfect recreational water in large amusement parks;however,the health hazards of chlorination disinfection by-products(DBPs)to occupational populations are unknown.This study aimed to assess the exposure status of chlorinated DBPs in recreational water and the health risks to employees of large amusement parks.Methods Exposure parameters of employees of three large amusement parks in Shanghai were investigated using a questionnaire.Seven typical chlorinated DBPs in recreational water and spray samples were quantified by gas chromatography,and the health risks to amusement park employees exposed to chlorinated DBPs were evaluated according to the WHO's risk assessment framework.Results Trichloroacetic acid,dibromochloromethane,bromodichloromethane,and dichloroacetic acid were detected predominantly in recreational water.The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of the five DBPs did not exceed the risk thresholds.In addition,the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of mixed exposure to DBPs were within the acceptable risk limits.Conclusion Typical DBPs were widely detected in recreational water collected from three large amusement parks in Shanghai;however,the health risks of DBPs and their mixtures were within acceptable limits.

Health Risk Assessment of Exposure to Some Heavy Metals from Roasted Pork and Goat Meats Sold in Ishaka-Bushenyi Municipality, Uganda

Heavy metals like iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu) in trace levels are vital for human health as they support a number of physiological processes. In contrast, lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) provide no health benefits and can cause significant health problems when accumulated in the body. The main sources of heavy metal contamination in humans include the consumption of unhygienic and contaminated food products. In Uganda, roasted pork and goat meats are highly consumed among the population. Therefore, this research aims to determine the levels of Mn, Cu, Cd, Pb, and Fe and the associated human health risks in roasted pork and goat meat samples collected from Ishaka-Bushenyi Municipality, Uganda. Results showed that the mean levels of heavy metals (mg/kg) in roasted pork were in the order of Fe (4.706) > Pb (2.220) > Cu (1.927) > Cd (0.766) > Mn (0.391), while in roasted goat meat, the order was Pb (8.152) > Fe (5.152) > Cu (1.834) > Cd (0.794) > Mn (0.388). Lead (Pb) was observed to have the highest concentration which is likely to pose a risk to both children and adults, while manganese had the lowest concentration. The estimation of human health risks revealed that the essential metals had target hazard quotient (THQ) values below threshold in all samples while the non-essential elements had THQ values above 1. The hazard index (HI) obtained for each sample was greater than 1 indicating non-carcinogenic health risks to consumers (HI > 1). In 88% of cases, cancer risks (CR) values were within 10−4 and acceptable. Additionally, children are more vulnerable to non-cancer risks than the adults due to lower body weight. This research highlights the need of regularly monitoring of locations where vendors sell processed meats, as well as implementing laws to mitigate the health hazards associated with consuming polluted roasted meats.

Assessment of pollution levels and human health risk of heavy metals in dust deposited on Yerevan＇s tree leaves (Armenia)

The total concentrations of Cd,As,Pb,Cr,Ni,Co,Zn,Cu,Ag,Hg,and Mo were determined in the atmospheric dust of the city of Yerevan by atomic absorption spectrometry(AAnalyst PE 800).Heavy metal pollution levels were evaluated by calculating geo-accumulation(I_(geo)) and summary pollution(Z_c) indices.Potential human health risk was assessed using the United States Environmental Protection agency's human health risk assessment model.The results show that mean contents of all elements tested except Ni and Cr were substantially higher than local geochemical background values.According to the I_(geo),Yerevan territory is strongly-to-extremely polluted by As,Ag,Hg,Mo,and Cd.The Z_c assessment indicated that very high pollution was detected in 36%of samples,high in 32%,average in 12%,and low in 20%.The health risk assessment revealed a noncarcinogenic risk(HI >1) for children at 13 samplings sites and for adults at one sampling site.For children the risk was due to elevated levels of Mo,Cd,Co,and As,while for adults,only Mo.Carcinogenic risk(>1:1,000,000) of As and Cr via ingestion pathway was observed in 25 and 14 samples,respectively.This study,therefore,is the base for further detailed investigations to organize problematic site remediation and risk reduction measures.

Health Risk Assessment on Rural Drinking Water Safety —A Case Study in Rain City District of Ya’an City of Sichuan Province

Taking Rain City District of Ya’an for example, this paper based on ComGIS (Component Object Model Geographic Information System) platform takes comprehensive and systematic detection on the exposure dose of chemical carcinogens and non-carcinogens from drinking water sources in this region and discusses health risk assessment of single factor and the whole health risk assessment. As, Hg, Cr, Pb, Cd and fluorides in some drinking water sources of Rain City District are analyzed according to Standards For Drinking Wa-ter Quality (GB5749-2006). A health risk assessment model called USEPA is also applied to drinking water health risk assessment and management countermeasure is proposed. The results show that the greatest health risk for individual person per year is caused by Cr(VI). The health risk of carcinogens is much higher than that of non-carcinogens: the greatest risk value due to non-carcinogen pollutants is caused by fluoride (F), achieving 1.05×10-8/a. The ranking of risk values due to non-carcinogen pollutants by drinking water is Pb>fluoride (F)>Hg, within Pb accounting for 44.77%, fluo-ride (F) accounting for 34.30% and Hg accounting for 20.92%. The average individual carcinogenesis annual risk of Cr(VI) is the greatest, achieving 8.91×10-4/a. The ranking of risk value due to chemical carcinogen by rural drinking water of Ya’an is Cr6+>As>Cd, within Cr6+ accounting for 91.12%, As accounting for 5.89% and Cd accounting for 3.00%. Based on this, the strategy and measures of the health risk management are put forward. This study has worked efficiently in practice. Compared with the same kind of methods which have been found, the paper has the outstanding results for the health risk assessment of the rural drinking water safety.

Surface water quality and potential health risk assessments in Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan section of Xiangjiang River, China

The Changsha-Xiangtan-Zhuzhou City Group is a heavy industrial district and accepted as the serious pollution area in the Xiangjiang River basin.In this study,7 metals(Pb,Hg,Cd,As,Zn,Cu and Se)and the river water quality parameters including pH,dissolved oxygen(DO),Escherichia coli(E.coli),potassium permanganate index(CODMn),dichromate oxidizability(CODCr),five-day biochemical oxygen demand(BOD5),ammonia nitrogen(NH4+-N),total nitrogen(TN),total phosphorus(TP)and fluoride(F)in 18 sampling sites of the Changsha-Xiangtan-Zhuzhou section are monthly monitored in 2016,which is the year to step into the second stage of the“Xiangjiang River Heavy Metal Pollution Control Implementation Plan”.It is found that E.coli,TN and TP are the main pollutants in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan section,and the pollution of heavy metal is not serious but As with potential risk to local people especially children should be concerned.In addition,Xiangtan city is mainly featured with heavy metal pollution,while Zhuzhou and Changsha city are both featured with other pollutants from municipal domestic sewage.

Human Health Risk Assessment Model of Organic Pollution in Groundwater:Shijiazhuang Industrial Zone

In this study, a risk-based management model is developed and applied to an industrial zone. The models proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Han Bing have been improved by adding a residual ratio of volatile organic compounds （VOC） after boiling and deleting the related parameters in half-life. Using this improved model, an integrated process was used to assess human health risk level in the study area. Compared with water quality analysis, the results highlight the importance of applying an integrated approach for decision making on risk levels and water protection. The results of this study demonstrated that： （1） Compared with these permissible level standards in China （GB 3838-2002） and National Primary Drinking Water Regulations of the United States, the residents＇ daily life had not been affected by the groundwater in this area （except for relative bad water quality of HB3-4 and HB3-6）; （2） The typical detected organic contaminants of all groundwater samples were chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethene, and the pollution sources were mainly industrial sources by preliminary investigations; （3） As for groundwater, the non-carcinogenic risk values of all samples do not exceed the permissible level of 1.0 and the carcinogenic risk values are relatively lower than the permissible level of 1.00E-06 to 1.00E-04; （4） Drinking water pathway of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene mainly contribute to increasing the health risk of residents＇ in study areas; （5） In terms of non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic risk, the health risk order for drinking water pathway and dermal contact pathway was： drinking water pathway 〉 dermal contact pathway.

Research Progress in Occupational Health Risk Assessment Methods in China

Traditional occupational disease control and prevention has remained prevalent in China over recent decades. There are appropriately 30,000 new case reports of occupational diseases annually. Although China has already established a series of occupational disease prevention programs, occupational health risk assessment （OHRA） strategies continue to be a limitation.

Soil Heavy Metal Pollution and Health Risk Assessment of Abandoned Land in Coal Mining Areas in Xingren County

Total contents of heavy metals （ Pb, Cr, Cd, Hg, As, Cu, Zn, and Ni） in 68 soil samples were determined to evaluate the contamination level of soil from five coal mine areas in Xingren County, Guizhou province. The pollution levels of heavy metals were characterized by anthro- pogenic influence multiple, and the pollution of heavy metal in soil was evaluated using geo-accumulation index. Based on the health risk models recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency （ US EPA）, the health risks of heavy metals in the soils were assessed. The results showed that the abandoned land in the five coal mining areas were contaminated by heavy metals, and the order of pollution levels of eight heavy metals was As 〉 Pb 〉 Cu 〉 Hg 〉 Ni 〉 Cr 〉 Cd 〉 Zn. The soils suffered moderate-heavy pollution from As and Pb, and the contents of As and Pb in the soils were 13.16 and 4.76 times higher than the background values of Guizhou Province, followed by Cu, Hg and Ni , while soil pollution from Cr, Cd and Zn was mild. The order of non-caminogenic risks of the heavy metals in the soils was As 〉 Pb 〉 Cr 〉 Ni 〉 Cu 〉 Hg 〉 Cd 〉 Zn, and the non-carcinogenic dsk value of As was higher than that its threshold value 1, which indicated that As had a high potential health risk to adults and children. The order of carcinogen risks of the four heavy metals was As 〉 Cd 〉 Cr 〉 Ni, and the carcinogenic risk value of As was higher than its threshold value, indicating that As had a high carcinogenic risk to adults and children. The carcinogenic risk values of other three heavy metals （ Cd, Cr and Ni） were lower than the threshold value, so they had no carcinogenic risk to human health. Moreover, children were more sensitively affect- ed by heavy metals from the abandoned land. Therefore, the health of children in such areas should be paid more attention to. The HI value of the eight heavy metals to children was seven times higher than that to adults. The contribution rate of HQAs to HI was about 88%, and the contribution rate of CRA, to TCR was about 98%, so As was the most crucial factor influencing non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic dsk in the abandoned soils.

Health risk assessment of heavy metals in soils and crops in a mining area(Au-Ag-Cutrona-oil et al.) of the Nanyang Basin, Henan Province, China

Heavy metal distribution in mining areas has always been a hot research topic due to the special environment of these areas. This study aims to explore the impact of heavy metal pollution on soils and crops in the study area, ensure the safety of local crops and the health of local residents, and provide a basis for the subsequent environmental restoration and the prevention and control of environmental pollution. Based on the analysis of the heavy metal concentrations in local soils and crops, the study investigated the spatial distribution, pollution degrees, and potential ecological risks of heavy metals in the farmland of a mining area in the southeastern Nanyang Basin, Henan province, China explored the sources of heavy metals and assessed the health risks caused by crop intake. The results of this study are as follows. The root soils of crops in the study area suffered heavy metal pollution to varying degrees. The degree of heavy metal pollution in maize fields is higher than that in wheat fields, and both types of fields suffer the most severe Cd pollution. Moreover, the root soils of different crops suffer compound pollution.The root soils in the maize fields suffer severe compound pollution at some sampling positions, whose distribution is similar to that of the mining area. Cd poses the highest potential ecological risks among all heavy metals, and the study area mainly suffers low and moderate comprehensive potential ecological risks. The principal component analysis(PCA) shows that the distribution of Zn, Cd, Pb, and As in soils of the study area is mainly affected by anthropogenic factors such as local mining activities;the distribution of Cr and Ni is primarily controlled by the local geological background;the distribution of Hg is mainly affected by local vehicle exhaust emissions, and the distribution of Cu is influenced by both human activities and the geological background. Different cereal crops in the study area are polluted with heavy metals dominated by Cd and Ni to varying degrees, especially wheat. As indicated by the health risk assessment results, the intake of maize in the study area does not pose significant human health risks;however, Cu has high risks to human health, and the compound heavy metal pollution caused by the intake of wheat in the study area poses risks to the health of both adults and children. Overall, the soils and crops in the study area suffer a high degree of heavy metal pollution, for which mining activities may be the main reason.

Occupational Health Risk Assessment of Benzene,Toluene,and Xylene in Shanghai

Objective This study was designed to conduct a retrospective and systematic occupational health risk assessment(OHRA)of enterprises that used benzene,toluene,and xylene(BTX)in Shanghai,China.Methods All data for the study were obtained from 1,705 occupational health examination and evaluation reports from 2013 to 2017,and a semiquantitative model following Chinese OHRA guidelines(GBZ/T 298-2017)was applied for the assessment.Results The selected enterprises using BTX were mainly involved in manufacturing of products.Using the exposure level method,health risk levels associated with exposure to BTX were classified as medium,negligible,or low.However,the risk levels associated with benzene and toluene were significantly different according to job types,with gluers and inkers exhibiting greater health risks.For the same job type,the health risk levels assessed using the comprehensive index method were higher than those using the exposure level method.Conclusion Our OHRA reveals that workers who are exposed to BTX still face excessive health risk.Additionally,the risk level varied depending on job categories and exposure to specific chemicals.Therefore,additional control measures recommended by OHRA guidelines are essential to reduce worker exposure levels.

ArcGIS-Based Rural Drinking Water Quality Health Risk Assessment

Aiming at the unsafe of water quality which is the core problem in rural drinking water safety, the study col-lected 221 water samples of rural drinking water sources in Ya'an and detected the concentrations of the car-cinogen and the non-carcinogen. Based on the analysis of water environment characteristics and the identifi-cation of water environment health risk source of Sichuan Ya’an City, which includes seven counties and a district and is the typical region of the western margin of Sichuan Basin, this study calculated and analyzed the carcinogenic risk (R) and non-carcinogenic risk (hazard index, HI) by applying the health risk model recommended by the US National Research Council of National Academy of Science. Then, taking advan-tage of the geo-statistic spatial analysis function of ArcGIS, this study analyzed the assessment result data (R and HI), selected the proper interpolation approach and educed R and HI spatial distribution maps of the study area. R and HI of the single factor and integrate factors were evaluated and thus obtained the following conclusions: For one thing, the cancerous risk indexes of the vast majority of water sources (about 94%) is the level of 10-7 and it belong to the safety extension. The main carcinogen in the water sources are As, Cr6+ and Pb, their concentrations are in the ranges of 0.004-0.01, 0.005, 0.01mg/l respectively and such water source mainly distributed in Yucheng district and Mingshan county. For another, the non-cancerous hazard indexes of the vast majority of water sources (about 98%) is also less than the limit value 1 and will not harm the local residents. The health risk of non-carcinogen comes mainly from As and fluoride, their concentra-tions are in the ranges of 0.004-0.01 and 0.1-4.2mg/l respectively. The results of the integrate factors health risk assessment showed that the total cancerous risk were still at the level of 10-6, only 12 drinking water source investigation sites (5%) exceeded the drinking water management standard value of EPA (the limit value is 10-6);the total non-cancerous hazard indexes are still in the range of 10-2-10-1, and will not harm the local residents either, only 18 drinking water source investigation sites (8%) exceeded the drinking water management standard value of EPA(the limit value is 1).The densely populated areas such as Yucheng Dis-trict, Tianquan County, Yingjing County and Shimian County are where the four contaminating materials, i.e., As, Cr6+, Pb and fluoride should be monitored with emphasis. Study results disclosed the health risk control indexes of source water quality of the studied area and thus provided the scientific basis for the water quality control of water sources. This study had worked efficiently in practice. Compared with the same kind of methods which had been found, the paper had the outstanding results for the health risk assessment of the rural drinking water safety.

Health Risk Assessment Due to Heavy Metals Exposure via Consumption of Bivalves Harvested from Marudu Bay, Malaysia

Concern over health risk from consumption of bivalves originating from Marudu Bay is escalating due to the rapid agricultural development surrounding the bay. This has motivated us to estimate the health risk index (HRI) of heavy metals from four commercially important and highly exploited bivalve species which are abundant in the bay. Samples (n = 30) of green mussel (Perna viridis), Asiatic hard clam (Meretrix meretrix), Pacific oyster (Crassosstrea gigas) and marsh clam (Polymesoda expans) were acquired from fishermen in Kg. Teritipan, Marudu Bay. These bivalves were analyzed for heavy metals content using the Inductively Couples Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The study found that the mean contents of Arsenic (As) and Manganese (Mn) in all analyzed bivalves exceeded the permissible limits as well as copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in Pacific oyster, and Zn in marsh clam. It was also noticed that consumption of different bivalve species may bring about health risk from different metals as indicated by varied Total Hazard Index (THI) values. Consumption of the four bivalves was noticed to promote high health risk from As intoxication. Although metal pollution index (MPI) analysis revealed that the bivalves from the bay are currently not seriously impacted by heavy metal pollution, vigorous efforts should be taken to preserve the natural condition of the bay for years to come. There are several ways to minimize health issues from bivalve consumption which include keeping the bivalve natural habitat away from heavy metals pollution by strictly enforcing environmental laws and policies, establishing zones for bivalve fisheries, monitoring heavy metals concentration in bivalve on a regular basis and making depuration process a compulsory requirement in every seafood restaurant throughout the country.

Potentially toxic metal concentration,spatial distribution,and health risk assessment in drinking groundwater resources of southeast Iran

In this study, the concentration and spatial distribution of potentially toxic metals(PTMs), including arsenic(As), cadmium(Cd), chromium(Cr), lead(Pb), copper(Cu), iron(Fe), manganese(Mn), and magnesium(Mg) in 23 wells and drinking groundwater distribution networks of Rafsanjan, located in southeast Iran were evaluated. Moreover, the assessment of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks was estimated by Monte Carlo simulation(MCS). The results showed that the concentrations of As and Pb in more than 99% and 23.46% of the study area, respectively, were higher than the maximum concentration level(10 μg/L). The mean concentration of other metals, including Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, and Mn in all drinking water resources was within the WHO standard level. The mean hazard quotient(HQ) for As in the age group of children was 9.246 and adults 2.972, indicating high non-carcinogenic risk of As in the study area. The lifetime cancer risk(LTCR) of As was 1.36 E-3 for adults and 1.52 E-2 for children, indicating high non-carcinogenic risk of As. The level of HQ and LTCR for Pb in both age groups was in the acceptable range. The results of sensitivity analysis showed that the most effective variables were pollutant concentration and body weight(BW), respectively. Finally, it can be concluded that exposure to PTMs, especially As through drinking water in the study area can have significant effects on people’s health living in the area;therefore, it is necessary to treat and remove As from groundwater resources before drinking or using for domestic purpose.

Multimedia health risk assessment:A case study of scenario-uncertainty

Assisted by framework of multimedia total exposure model for hazard waste sites(CalTOX),potential influences of scenario-uncertainty on multimedia health risk assessment(MHRA) and decision-making were quantitatively analyzed in a primary extent under the Chinese scenario case by deliberately varying the two key scenario-elements,namely conceptual exposure pathways combination and aim receptor cohorts choice.Results show that the independent change of one exposure pathway or receptor cohort could lead variation of MHRA results in the range of 3.6×10-6-1.4×10-5 or 6.7×10-6-2.3×10-5.And randomly simultaneous change of those two elements could lead variation of MHRA results at the range of 7.7×10-8-2.3×10-5.On the basis of the corresponding sensitivity analysis,pathways which made a valid contribution to the final modeling risk value occupied only 16.7% of all considered pathways.Afterwards,comparative analysis between influence of parameter-uncertainty and influence of scenario-uncertainty was made.In consideration of interrelationship among all types of uncertainties and financial reasonability during MHRA procedures,the integrated method how to optimize the entire procedures of MHRA was presented innovatively based on sensitivity analysis,scenario-discussion and nest Monte Carlo simulation or fuzzy mathematics.

Impact of artificial waterfall using reclaimed water to VOCs and its health risk assessment

To study the impact of an artificial waterfall using reclaimed water on volatile organic compounds （VOCs） in air, air samples around the waterfall sight and over the CASS pond of a wastewater treatment plant were collected and VOCs were analyzed by MC-MS with USEPA Method TO-14. The total volatile organic compounds （TOVCs） concentration of a background sample is 2112 μg/m^3, and the sample over the CASS pond has a TVOC concentration of 1858μg/m^3. The TVOC concentrations of air samples within 10 m of the artificial waterfall are between 3216 μg/m^3 and 6362 μg/m^3, which are 1.52 - 3.0 times that of the background sample. The VOCs in air sample impacted by reclaimed water or waste water exhibit a relatively high proportion of toluene but low proportion of benzene. B/T/E/X （ Benzene/Toluene/Ethylbenzene/Xylene ） ratio of the air sample around the artificial water fall is（O. 36/11.78/1/1.10）. Health risk assessment （HRA） was done with the USEPA four-step approach. The result indicates that the artificial waterfall using reclaimed water indeed leads to the increase of human risk value. The total risk value of the sample around the waterfall is 2. 8 - 1.6 times that of the background sample. However, the total risk value of the air sample around the waterfall （2. 8 × 10^-6 ） for common people is still lower,compared to the acceptable public risk level（ 10^-5 ）. For occupational workers of the wastewater treatment plant, the sum of lifetime non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk values （ 1.26 × 10^ -5 ） is higher than that of the acceptable public risk level.

Health Risk Assessment of Mobility-Related Air Pollution in Ha Noi, Vietnam

Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam and the second largest city of the country, just behind Ho Chi Minh City. During the last two decades, Hanoi developed fast and expanded steadily. Since the city acquired large parts of the surrounding provinces in 2008, Hanoi tripled its size and doubled its population. The new development aims to spread the concentrated population and economic activities to alleviate the stress caused by pollution and the decreasing quality of life of the residents. Hanoi has a very fast growing fleet of motor vehicles, at the rate of 12% - 15% annually. The fast transition from bikes to motorcycles and to cars results in a most serious environmental burden in particular on the air quality and human health. This paper overviews the air quality and pollution caused by road traffic in central Hanoi (5 old districts) and the related health outcomes due to particulate matters (PM10 and PM2.5). It uses dose-response functions to quantify the number of extra deaths resulting from traffic-related particulate matters. The results are compared with those of other studies to assess the impacts of air pollution on human health in large, crowded and fast developing cities in Southeast Asia. Assessment of the health risk caused by traffic shows that mobility in Hanoi causes a high health burden. In 2009, mobility caused 3200 extra deaths by traffic related PM10. The result shows that health impacts due to air pollution are by far larger than the number of fatalities due to traffic accidents.

Exposure Level, Toxicity Effects and Health Risk Assessment of Organophosphorus Flame Retardants in Water Environment

Organophosphorus flame retardants(OPFRs) are gradually replacing brominated flame retardants(BFRs), which are widely used in the world. The increasing output of OPFRs and the increasing detection of OPFRs in environmental media have attracted wide attention of scholars at home and abroad. OPFRs are generally semi-volatile, easy to enter the environment and accumulate in organisms,causing potential hazards to the environment and human health. In this paper, the pollution status and toxic effects of OPFRs in aquatic environment were introduced,and the research progress of human health risk caused by them was summarized.The existing problems were pointed out, and the future research was prospected. In the future, the analytical methods of various environmental and biological media should be improved, and comprehensive and in-depth environmental investigation and ecological and health risk assessment should be carried out. Attention should be paid to the effects of combined pollution on organisms and the study of biological acceptability.

Health Risk Assessment of Centralized Drinking Water Sources in Small Towns of Chongqi City: A Case Study of Beibei District

Based on the health risk assessment model of water quality recommended by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the health risk of five centralized drinking water sources in small towns of Beibei District, Chongqing City was evaluated. The results showed that the risk of health hazard of chemical carcinogen arsenic did not exceed the acceptable level recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP)(5.0×10 -5 a -1 ), but was still at the same order of magnitude as the recommended value of ICRP. The risk of the highest health hazard was 127 times higher than the maximum acceptable level recommended by Sweden EPA and Holland EPA (1.0×10 -6 a -1 ). The health risk of As in genetic toxic substances at monitoring points A, B, and C accounted for 99.99% of the total risk, showing that As was the main pollutant that posed the health risk, so priority should be given to the prevention and control of As pollution in the centralized drinking water sources in Chongqing towns.

Heavy Metal Pollution Status and Health Risk Assessment in the Longjiang River

[Objectives] The purpose of this research was to investigate the water quality of the Longjiang River in Guangxi. Concentrations of heavy metals( As,Cd,Zn,Pb and Cu) in the surface water of Longjiang River were analyzed to figure out the distribution characteristics of heavy metal pollutants in this area. [Methods]The Nemerow comprehensive index method and the health risk assessment model were adopted to evaluate the grade of Longjiang River water quality and the health risk level imposed by heavy metals in the water. [Results] The concentrations of heavy metals in each sampling point conformed to Grade-II water quality standard. The water samples collected on 13 sampling points of the Longjiang River were clean and not polluted by heavy metals. The health risk values of heavy metals As and Zn were greater than Cd,Pb and Cu in the Longjiang River,but still lower than the maximum acceptable risk level 5. 0 × 10^(-5)a^(-1). [Conclusions]Water quality condition reflected by the comprehensive pollution index and the health risk value of heavy metal was consistent in the Longjiang River,showing as that the value in middle and lower reaches was slightly higher than in the upper reaches. As is the major pollutant of water environment health risk in the Longjiang River,and it should be regarded as the key object of water environment risk management in Longjiang River.