Real-time assessment of PM1.0-bound trace metal cancer risk through high-resolution GED-ICP-MS and integrated ELCR analysis
Journal
Journal of Hazardous Materials
Journal Volume
494
Start Page
138711
ISSN
0304-3894
Date Issued
2025-08-15
Author(s)
Abstract
This study employed a gas exchange device coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GED-ICP-MS) for high-resolution analysis of trace metals in PM1.0 within an urban area. The system was validated against conventional filter-based measurements (R2=0.57–0.97) and effectively captured diurnal variations and episodic events typically overlooked by traditional sampling. Through positive matrix factorization (PMF), we identified six distinct sources by integrating trace metal concentrations and particle size distribution (PSD). By combining temporal slope factors of mixtures (SFm) with lung deposited surface area (LDSA), we provided insights into source-specific health risks. The average traffic-related SFm (7.5 ×10−4) was comparable to other traffic sites, though values increased significantly (1.0 ×10−3) during evening rush hours. These findings revealed that vehicle-emitted metals were predominantly in the PM1.0 size range, indicating that traditional PM10-based health risk assessments may underestimate their impact. The observed lack of correlation between LDSA and SFm emphasizes that comprehensive health risk assessment requires both PSD and toxicity measurements, particularly for particles below 100 nm. The overall excess lifetime cancer risk averaged 2.9 × 10−5, varying between peak (4.0 ×10−5) and off-peak (2.5 ×10−5) traffic periods, remaining within US EPA's acceptable range, while demonstrating the crucial role of trace metals in determining health risks despite their low concentrations.
Subjects
ELCR
GED-ICP-MS
LDSA
PM1.0
PMF
SFm
Trace metals
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Type
journal article