Adverse impacts of Asian dust events on human health and the environment—A probabilistic risk assessment study on particulate matter-bound metals and bacteria in Seoul, South Korea

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 875; p. 162637
• Main Authors: Roy, Debananda, Kim, Jayun, Lee, Minjoo, Park, Joonhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.06.2023
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - analysis; Bacteria; Bioaerosols; Cadmium; Cities; Dust - analysis; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental risk; Fine dust; Health risk; Humans; Metals - analysis; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Particulate Matter - analysis; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; Risk Assessment; Seoul; Trace elements; Yellow dust; Seoul; Republic of Korea; TV; CRinh; BF; Igeo; HRT; NIER; PLI; USEPA; SA; Yellow dust; Health risk; OTU; ABS; URT; ED; WHO; EF; AD; AF; AI; IR; AM; Environmental risk; TB; CR; ET; PCA; Bioaerosols; ILCR; RfD; Fine dust; FRC; RI; PI; GIABS; ICRP; Trace elements; PER; RfCi; BLF; PM
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162637

This study aimed to assess the impact of Asian dust (AD) on the human health and the environment. Particulate matter (PM) and PM-bound trace elements and bacteria were examined to determine the chemical and biological hazards associated with AD days and compared with non-AD days in Seoul. On AD days, the mean PM10 concentration was ∼3.5 times higher than that on non-AD days. Elements generated from the Earth's crust (Al, Fe, and Ca) and anthropogenic sources (Pb, Ni, and Cd) were identified as major contributors to coarse and fine particles, respectively. During AD days, the study area was recognized as “severe” for pollution index and pollution load index levels, and “moderately to heavily polluted” for geoaccumulation index levels. The potential cancer risk (CR) and non-CR were estimated for the dust generated during AD events. On AD days, total CR levels were significant (in 1.08 × 10−5–2.22 × 10−5), which were associated with PM-bound As, Cd, and Ni. In addition, inhalation CR was found to be similar to the incremental lifetime CR levels estimated using the human respiratory tract mass deposition model. In a short exposure duration (14 days), high PM and bacterial mass deposition, significant non-CR levels, and a high presence of potential respiratory infection-causing pathogens (Rothia mucilaginosa) were observed during AD days. Significant non-CR levels were observed for bacterial exposure, despite insignificant levels of PM10-bound elements. Therefore, the substantial ecological risk, CR, and non-CR levels for inhalation exposure to PM-bound bacteria, and the presence of potential respiratory pathogens, indicate that AD events pose a significant risk to both human lung health and the environment. This study provides the first comprehensive examination of significant non-CR levels for bacteria and carcinogenicity of PM-bound metals during AD events. [Display omitted] •Asian dust (AD) events augmented human health and environmental risk levels.•PM-bound metals and bacteria in AD promote carcinogenicity and non-carcinogenicity.•AD events account for excessive PM and bacterial mass deposition in human lungs.•Non-cancer risk is significant for bacteria rather than PM10-bound elements.•Respiratory infection-causing pathogens were abundant during AD events.