Insights into the source-specific health risk of ambient particle-bound metals in the Pearl River Delta region, China

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety Vol. 224; p. 112642
• Main Authors: Fu, Shaojie, Yue, Dingli, Lin, Weiwei, Hu, Qiansheng, Yuan, Luan, Zhao, Yan, Zhai, Yuhong, Mai, Dejian, Zhang, Hedi, Wei, Qing, He, Lingyan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.11.2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: Carcinogenic risk; Non-carcinogenic risk; PM2.5; Risk assessment; Source apportionment; Mn; Cd; HI; HQ; Risk; Al; Co; Cr; Non-carcinogenic risk; Cu; As; Pb; Zn; MDL; V; Rh; Risk assessment; PM2.5; Ni; EC; Ba; ED; EF; RSD; IUR; PMF; PRD region; Source apportionment; RfC; ET; AT; Carcinogenic risk; ICP-MS; PM(2.5)
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112642

Quantification of source-specific health risks of PM2.5 plays an essential role in health-oriented air pollution control. However, there is limited evidence supporting the source-based risk apportionment of particle-bound metals. In this study, source-specific cancer and non-cancer risk characterization of 12 particle-bound metals was performed in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, China. A combination of health risk assessment model and receptor-based source apportionment modeling with positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied for characterizing the spatial-temporal patterns for inhalation health risks of particle-bound metals in three main city clusters, inland area and coastal area in the region from December 2014 through July 2016. Results showed that the carcinogenic risk of particle-bound metals for adults (4.13 × 10-5) was higher than that for children (9.53 × 10-6) in the PRD region. The highest and significant non-carcinogenic risk was found in the northwest city cluster. Industrial emission (63.3%) were the dominant contributors to the cancer risk, while the main contributors to the non-cancer risk were the vehicle emission source (33.2%) in the dry season and industrial emission (30.8%) in the wet season. Our results provide important evidence for spatial source-specific health risks with temporal characteristics of particle-bound metals in most densely populated areas in the southern China, and suggest that reduction of industrial and vehicle emissions could facilitate more cost-effective PM2.5 control measures to improve human health. [Display omitted] •A long-term regional-scale health risk assessment for PM2.5-bound metals in the PRD.•Health risks of five identified sources had a distinct seasonal spatial pattern.•Industrial emission was the main contributor to the cancer risk in the PRD region.•Vehicle & industrial emissions were the predominant contributions to non-cancer risk.•Cr contributed most to cancer risk, while Mn contributed most to non-cancer risk.