Soil contamination by potentially toxic elements and the associated human health risk in geo- and anthropogenic contaminated soils: A case study from the temperate region (Germany) and the arid region (Egypt)
Journal
Environmental Pollution
Journal Volume
262
Journal Volume
262
Start Page
114312
ISSN
02697491
Date Issued
2020-07
Author(s)
Shaheen, Sabry M.
Antoniadis, Vasileios
Kwon, Eilhann
Song, Hocheol
Rinklebe, Jörg
Abstract
Soil contamination was very high in the studied soils (pollution load index ranged from 1.1 to 5.2), especially in the German and Egyptian Fluvisols; health risk for children was higher than for adults, and As, Al, Cr, Cu, and Fe had a key role in soil-derived health risk.
The aim of this study was to assess the soil contamination caused by potentially toxic elements (Al, As, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Se, V, and Zn) using various indices and the associated risk of human health for adults and children in selected soils from Germany (Calcic Luvisols, Tidalic Fluvisols, Haplic Gleysols, and Eutric Fluvisols) and Egypt (Haplic Calcisols, Sodic Fluvisols, and Eutric Fluvisols). Soil contamination degree has been assessed using indices such as contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), and enrichment factor. We also assessed the health risk for children and for male and female adults. Chromium, Cu, As, Mo, Ni, Se, and Zn in the German Fluvisols had high CF of >6, while in the Egyptian Fluvisols Se, Mo, As, and Al revealed a high CF. The PLI (1.1–5.2) was higher than unity in most soils (except for Tidalic Fluvisols), while the most important contributor was Se, followed by Mo and As in the Egyptian Fluvisols, and by Cr, Cu, and Zn in the German Fluvisols. The median value of hazard index (HI) for children in the studied soils indicated an elevated health risk (higher than one), especially in the German Fluvisols (HI = 4.0–29.0) and in the Egyptian Fluvisols (HI = 2.2–5.2). For adults, median HIs in all soils were lower than unity for both males and females. The key contributor to HI was As in the whole soil profiles, accounting for about 59% of the total HIs in all three person groupings. Our findings show that in the studied multi-element contaminated soils the risk for children's health is higher than for adults; while mainly As (and Al, Cr, Cu, and Fe) contributed significantly to soil-derived health risk.
Subjects
Contamination indices
Risk assessment
Soil origin
Toxic metal(loid)s
SDGs
Other Subjects
Contamination; Health; Health risks; Risk assessment; Soils; Zinc; Contamination index; Enrichment factors; Geo-accumulation index; Human health risks; Pollution load indices; Potentially toxic elements; Soil contamination; Toxic metals; Soil pollution; aluminum; arsenic; chromium; cobalt; copper; iron; manganese; molybdenum; nickel; selenium; vanadium; zinc; heavy metal; anthropogenic source; arid region; child health; enrichment; health risk; metalloid; risk assessment; soil pollution; temperate environment; adult; Article; child; concentration (parameter); Egypt; environmental exposure; female; Germany; health hazard; human; male; risk assessment; soil pollution; environmental monitoring; soil; soil pollutant; Egypt; Germany; Adult; Child; Egypt; Environmental Monitoring; Germany; Humans; Metals, Heavy; Risk Assessment; Soil; Soil Pollutants
Publisher
Elsevier Ltd
Type
journal article