Indoor Quality of Residential Homes and Schools of an Industrial Area in Asansol: Characterization, Bioaccessibility and Health Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements

Abstract

Bioaccessibility of eight potentially toxic elements (PTEs), their human exposure and health risk assessments were determined in the indoor dust of residence and schools from the Asansol Industrial area, India. The PTEs concentrations were maximum during the winter both at houses and schools. The average PTEs concentrations throughout the year in Asansol were 3.16, 120, 156, 41708, 2354, 61.3, 115 and 345 mg.kg-1 for Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn respectively. X-ray powder diffraction indicated an abundance of quartz in the indoor dust. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated multiple sources such as traffic, industries, and lithogenic sources for PTEs in indoor dust. Percentage of bioaccessibility was maximum for Cd (55.3% throughout the year). Total PTEs concentration and a bioaccessible fraction of PTEs both were used for health risk assessment, and non-carcinogenic health risk was <1 for total PTEs and the bioaccessible fraction of PTEs. Health risk of total PTEs’ (HItotal) for Mn was high for both children and adult (6.76E-01 and 1.3E-01, respectively). Monte Carlo simulation model indicated that all the cumulative probability of Hazard Quotient (HQ) for collectively eight metals was below 1.

Keywords

• indoor dust, ptes, sbet, health risk assessment, monte carlo analysis