Contamination and health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in Al-Ammariah agricultural soil, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the agricultural land of Al-Ammariah their potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks for residents’ health due to exposure to PTEs. As, Cu, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn, V, and Pb were measured in 34 soil samples collected from palm and citrus plantations using Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectroscopy. The values of the chronic daily intake “CDI”, the hazard index “HI”, and the life cancer risk “LCR” can be used to predict the health risks via ingestion and dermal pathways. The following was the order of the average HM levels (μg/g): Fe (11581) > Mn (180) > Zn (52.17) > Ni (26.94) > Cr (19.97) > V (18.94) > Cu (11.36) > Pb (5.08) > Co (3.89) > As (3.78). Our average levels were mostly lower than those reported in worldwide soils. HI decreased in the order of Fe > As > Cr > V > Pb > Ni > Mn > Cu > Co > Zn for adults and children, and was less than 1.0, indicating its insignificance on the human body. The carcinogenic risks for As and Pb, as well as their LCR, were less than (1 × 10−6), implying no significant health risks. Values of LCR due to exposure for Cr in the ingestion pathway in children were higher than (1 × 10−4) implying unacceptable risk.

Keywords

• Soil contamination
• Agricultural impacts
• Potentially toxic elements
• Carcinogenic risk
• Saudi Arabia