Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Heavy metal levels (mg/kg) and corresponding permitted limit values (PLVs) for sandy agricultural soils
| Sampling site | Mean ± SD (mg/kg)* | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pb | Cd | Hg | |
| 1 | 129.75±23.93 | 0.15±0.05 | 0.11±0.01 |
| 2 | 69.58±15.69 | 0.23±0.09 | 0.08±0.02 |
| 3 | 92.47±8.45 | 1.61±0.97 | 1.14±0.59 |
| 4 | 34.53±7.46 | 0.77±0.58 | 0.20±0.13 |
| 5 | 44.67±10.09 | 0.39±0.07 | 0.06±0.02 |
| 6 | 400.64±284.62 | 1.03±0.88 | 0.09±0.02 |
| 7 | 376.67±72.54 | 0.15±0.02 | 0.22±0.12 |
| 8 | 48.56±13.94 | 0.33±0.12 | 0.06±0.02 |
| 9 | 96.14±27.92 | 0.16±0.03 | 0.09±0.08 |
| 10 | 93.94±4.32 | 0.09±0.02 | 0.05±0.02 |
| 11 | 98.64±13.57 | 0.14±0.05 | 0.08±0.04 |
| 12 | 159.75±18.98 | 0.31±0.04 | 0.09±0.05 |
| 13 | 101.78±14.47 | 0.18±0.06 | 0.08±0.04 |
| 14 | 440.87±72.83 | 0.22±0.11 | 0.11±0.03 |
| 15 | 301.22±66.37 | 0.07±0.02 | 0.08±0.02 |
| 16 | 1724.45±854.87 | 0.29±0.05 | 0.29±0.11 |
| 17 | 61.89±15.09 | 0.53±0.03 | 0.25±0.03 |
| 18 | 51.14±4.19 | 1.67±0.11 | 0.57±0.02 |
| 19 | 154.00±7.99 | 0.21±0.04 | 0.05±0.01 |
| 20 | 45.69±9.05 | 0.18±0.01 | 0.10±0.03 |
| 21 | 118.86±3.36 | 0.38±0.02 | 0.08±0.04 |
| 22 | 44.69±7.41 | 0.09±0.01 | 0.05±0.02 |
| 23 | 28.81±3.28 | 1.12±0.10 | 0.14±0.01 |
| 24 | 16.86±3.63 | 2.45±0.18 | 0.18±0.05 |
| 25 | 143.55±6.90 | 0.68±0.05 | 0.08±0.01 |
| 26 | 75.39±7.12 | 2.99±0.31 | 1.55±1.12 |
| 27 | 143.92±28.74 | 0.51±0.07 | 0.13±0.01 |
| 28 | 33.5±4.41 | 1.36±0.15 | 0.16±0.01 |
| 29 | 35.81±5.45 | 1.35±0.08 | 0.20±0.01 |
| Maximum permitted limit value (mg/kg) | |||
| PLV | 50.00 | 0.50 | 0.50 |
Comparison of soil heavy metal levels in the Tuzla Canton across studies
| Pb (mg/kg) | Cd (mg/kg) | Hg (mg/kg) | Year of soil sampling | References | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min | Max | Min | Max | Min | Max | ||
| 18.00 | 24.00 | 0.20 | 0.40 | N/A | N/A | 2005 | 29 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 0.23 | 65.5 | 2004 | 30 |
| 8.02 | 26.01 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2018 | 9 |
| 22.60 | 41.04 | 1.29 | 2.43 | N/A | N/A | 2017 | 31 |
| 17.20 | 36.09 | 0.00 | 1.86 | 0.00 | 27.35 | 2013 | 32 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 0.00 | 3864.00 | 2013 | 33 |
| 14.14 | 190.82 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 34 |
| 18.00 | 92.00 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 35 |
| 14.33 | 2784.00 | 0.05 | 3.67 | 0.03 | 2.73 | 2016-2017 | This study |
Deterministic non-cancer risk due to Pb, Cd, and Hg exposure through soil
| Heavy metal | Oral intake (mg/kg/day) | Oral risk (unitless) | Dermal intake (mg/kg/day) | Dermal risk (unitless) | Inhalation intake (mg/kg/day) | Inhalation risk (unitless) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pb | Adult men (Scenario 1) | |||||
| 2.06E-04 | 5.90E-02 | 8.24E-07 | 1.57E-03 | 3.04E-08 | 8.67-E06 | |
| Adult women (Scenario 2) | ||||||
| 2.73E-04 | 7.79E-02 | 1.09E-06 | 2.07E-03 | 4.01E-08 | 1.15E-02 | |
| Children (Scenario 3) | ||||||
| 6.03E-01 | 4.29E-02 | 5.91E-06 | 1.13E-02 | 1.55E-07 | 4.43E-05 | |
| Cd | Adult men (Scenario 1) | |||||
| 7.84E-07 | 7.84E-04 | 3.13E-09 | 3.13E-04 | 1.15E-10 | 1.15E-07 | |
| Adult women (Scenario 2) | ||||||
| 1.04E-06 | 1.04E-03 | 4.13E-09 | 4.13E-04 | 1.52E-10 | 1,52E-07 | |
| Children (Scenario 3) | ||||||
| 8.01E-06 | 8.01E-03 | 2.24E-08 | 2.24E-03 | 5.89E-10 | 5.89E-07 | |
| Hg | Adult men (Scenario 1) | |||||
| 2.55E-07 | 8.49E-04 | 1.02E-09 | 4.84E-05 | 3.74E-11 | 4.37E-07 | |
| Adult women (Scenario 2) | ||||||
| 3.36E-07 | 1.12E-03 | 1.34E-09 | 6.39E-05 | 4.95E-11 | 5.77E-07 | |
| Children (Scenario 3) | ||||||
| 2.60E-06 | 8.68E-03 | 7.29E-09 | 3.47E-04 | 1.91E-10 | 2.23E-06 | |
Summary of health risk assessment for three exposure scenarios based on the Monte Carlo simulation_
| Scenario | Concentration | HI (unitless) | Cancer risk | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pb | Cd | Hg | Total | (Cd, unitless) | ||
| 1 | Mean | 6.68E-02 | 1.14E-03 | 8.67E-04 | 6.88E-02 | 3.11E-10 |
| 75th percentile | 5.66E-02 | 1.28E-03 | 8.46E-04 | 5.87E-02 | 5.15E-10 | |
| 95th percentile | 2.09E-01 | 4.08E-03 | 2.53E-03 | 2.16E-01 | 1.16E-09 | |
| Max | 1.86E+01 | 3.46E-02 | 6.43E-02 | 1.87E+01 | 1.69E-09 | |
| 2 | Mean | 8.07E-02 | 1.48E-03 | 1.19E-03 | 8.34E-02 | 4.11E-10 |
| 75th percentile | 7.24E-02 | 1.68E-03 | 1.13E-03 | 7.52E-02 | 6.80E-10 | |
| 95th percentile | 2.46E-01 | 5.27E-03 | 3.57E-03 | 2.55E-01 | 1.53E-09 | |
| Max | 1.17E+01 | 2.99E-02 | 2.99E-01 | 1.2E+01 | 2.23E-09 | |
| 3 | Mean | 7.64E-01 | 1.18E-02 | 1.00E-02 | 7.86E-01 | 3.18E-10 |
| 75th percentile | 6.07E-01 | 1.28E-02 | 9.50E-03 | 6.29E-01 | 5.27E-10 | |
| 95th percentile | 2.24E+00 | 4.21E-02 | 3.22E-02 | 2.31E+00 | 1.18E-09 | |
| Max | 2.19E+02 | 6.28E-01 | 1.24E+00 | 2.21E+02 | 1.73E-09 | |
Input parameters for exposure assessment
| Exposure parameters | Description | Values | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| BW | Average body weight* (kg) | 82.78 for adult males | Unpublished data** |
| 62.66 for adult females | |||
| 16.20 for children | |||
| EF | Exposure frequency (day/year) | 350 | (41) |
| CF | Conversion factor (kg/mg) | 10-6 | (43) |
| ED | Exposure duration (years) | 30 for adults | (41) |
| 6 for children | |||
| SA | Skin surface area available for exposure (cm2) | 5700 for adults | (41) |
| 2800 for children | |||
| AT | Average time | EDx365 for non-carcinogenic 25550 for carcinogenic risk | (43, 69, 70) |
| SAF | Soil to skin adherence factor (mg/cm2) | 0.07 for adults | (41) |
| 0.2 for children | |||
| IngR | Ingestion rate (mg/day) | 100 for adults | (41) |
| 200 for children | |||
| InhR | Inhalation rate (m3/day) | 20 | (41) |
| PEF | Soil to air particulate emission factor (m3/kg) | 1.36 x 109 | (41) |
| ABSderm | Dermal absorption factor (unitless) | 0.001 (for all metals) | (69, 70) |
| RfDo | Pb (mg/kg/day) | 3.50E-03 | (41) |
| Cd (mg/kg/day) | 1.00E-03 | ||
| Hg (mg/kg/day) | 3.00E-04 | ||
| RfDABS | Pb (mg/kg/day) | 5.25E-04 | (41) |
| Cd (mg/kg/day) | 1.00E-05 | ||
| Hg (mg/kg/day) | 2.10E-05 | ||
| RfDi | Hg (mg/kg/day) | 8.57E-05 | (49) |
| CSF | Cd (mg/kg/day) | 6.30E-00 | (71) |
Hazard indices for Pb, Cd, and Hg and Cd cancer risk due to exposure of adult and children populations through soil in the Tuzla Canton
| Scenario | HI | Cancer risk (Cd, unitless) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pb | Cd | Hg | Total | ||
| Adult men (Scenario 1) | 6.06E-02 | 1.10E-03 | 8.98E-04 | 6.26E-02 | 3.11E-10 |
| Adult women (Scenario 2) | 8.00E-02 | 1.45E-03 | 1.19E-03 | 8.26E-02 | 4.11E-10 |
| Children (Scenario 3) | 6.14E-01 | 1.03E-02 | 9.03E-03 | 7.26E-01 | 3.18E-10 |