Assessment of elemental chemistry, spatial distribution, and potential risks of road-deposited dusts in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Lucy Semerjian,
Abiodun O. Adeniji,
Abdallah Shanableh,
Mohammad H. Semreen,
Muath Mousa,
Khaled Abass,
Anthony Okoh
Affiliations
Lucy Semerjian
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, P. O. Box 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Science and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Corresponding author. Department of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, P. O. Box 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Abiodun O. Adeniji
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Lesotho, P. O. Roma 180, Roma, Lesotho; SAMRC Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Centre, University of Fort Hare, Alice, 5700, South Africa
Abdallah Shanableh
Research Institute of Science and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Mohammad H. Semreen
Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Muath Mousa
Research Institute of Science and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Khaled Abass
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, P. O. Box 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Science and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine, University of Oulu, Finland
Anthony Okoh
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, P. O. Box 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Science and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; SAMRC Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Centre, University of Fort Hare, Alice, 5700, South Africa
Road dust is a major source of pollution in the environment, carrying different pollutants, including heavy metals and metalloids, from one location to another. This study assesses the concentrations of eight heavy metals and one metalloid (Zn, Pb, Mn, Fe, Cr, Cu, Cd, Ni, and As) in dust samples collected from sixty-eight streets of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates using ICP-OES, as well as investigates their effects on both the environment and humans. Mean concentrations of the elements in μg/g across the sites were 392 ± 46 (Zn), 68.28 ± 11.3 (Pb), 1437 ± 67 (Mn), 39,481 ± 4611 (Fe), 460 ± 31 (Cr), 150 ± 44 (Cu), 1.25 ± 0.65 (Cd), 856 ± 72 (Ni), and 0.97 ± 0.28 (As). The Cdeg and ERI calculated from the study were 54.79 and 573, respectively, suggesting varying pollution levels. The highest contributions were from Ni, Cd, Zn, Cu, Cr, and Pb, especially in areas with heavy traffic. The non-carcinogenic risk assessments were generally low for the three routes of exposure, except HQoral that was slightly higher for children. Similarly, none of the elements exhibited any carcinogenic risk except chromium. Overall, the cancer risk is considered low. In view of the limited studies from UAE in relation to the metal content of road-deposited dusts, the current study serves as novel knowledge, especially in the context of geographical areas with a higher occurrence of sandstorms and the presence of particulate matter. The study also adds to the global understanding of the contribution of street dust to environmental pollution and its implications for human health.
