Environmental Challenges (Apr 2021)
Human health risk assessment in opencast coal mines and coal-fired thermal power plants surrounding area due to inhalation
Abstract
The study aimed to provide quantitative data on air pollution on people living in an industrial area of middle India. The twenty-four monitoring of nitrogen dioxide concentrations, sulfur dioxide, PM2.5 and PM10 was used to investigate people's exposure and health effects in the surrounding study area from January 2016 to December 2017. The particulate matter concentrations and associated elements in particulate matter were analyzed by gravimetric analysis and DBAAS, ICP-OES, Ion-Chromatography, Mercury analyzer, and CHNS analyzer.A risk level of metals in human health was occurring in the following decreasing order as Pb > Zn > Mn > Co > Cr > Ni > Hg > Cd > As, and risk level of metals in human health of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic metals were observed to be lower than USEPA standard risk level of metals under acceptable level (10−6 year−1). The strongest association of metals areareare found for PM2.5 followed by PM10, with no indication of a threshold value for the health effects.
