Ecological and human health risk assessments of cyanotoxins and heavy metals in a drinking water supply reservoir

Abstract

Human beings are frequently exposed to a mixture of chemical pollutants through the ingestion of contaminated drinking water. The present study aimed to assess the ecological and human health risks associated with the contamination of cyanotoxins and heavy metals in a drinking water supply reservoir, the Tri An Reservoir (TAR), in Vietnam. Results demonstrated that the concentrations of individual heavy metals varied in the following order: iron (Fe) > lead (Pb) > arsenic (As) > zinc (Zn). Although the ecological potential risk of heavy metals was low during the study period, the concentration of Fe sometimes exceeded the Vietnamese standard for drinking water. Toxic cyanobacteria and microcystins (MCs) frequently occurred in the TAR with the highest density of 198.7 × 103 cells/mL and 7.8 μg/L, respectively, indicating a high risk of health impacts to humans. The results of the study indicate that exposure to heavy metals does not pose any non-carcinogenic health risks for both adults and children. However, the contamination of MCs in the surface water posed a serious disease enhancement to both adults and children through direct ingestion and dermal absorption. HIGHLIGHTS The ecological and human health risks associated with the contamination of cyanotoxins and heavy metals were investigated.; Water was contaminated with cyanotoxins and iron.; The potential risks of heavy metals were low, but the concentration of cyanotoxins indicated a high risk to human health.; This study highlights the ecological and human risks from exposure to mixtures of pollutants.;

Keywords

• cumulative risk
• hazard quotient
• multiple environmental stressors
• non-carcinogenic risk
• tri an reservoir