Health risks from the exposure of children to As, Se, Pb and other heavy metals near the largest coking plant in China

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 472; pp. 1001 - 1009
• Main Authors: Cao, Suzhen, Duan, Xiaoli, Zhao, Xiuge, Ma, Jin, Dong, Ting, Huang, Nan, Sun, Chengye, He, Bin, Wei, Fusheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 15.02.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Arsenic - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinogenesis, carcinogens and anticarcinogens; Chemical agents; Child; Children; China; Coke; Coking plant; Dust - analysis; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental Exposure - analysis; Environmental Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Environmental Pollution - analysis; Environmental Pollution - statistics & numerical data; Exposure; Female; Health risk; Heavy metals; Humans; Lead - analysis; Male; Medical sciences; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk Assessment; Selenium - analysis; Soil - chemistry; Tumors; Asia; China; China, People's Rep; Coking plant; As; Exposure; Children; Heavy metals; Health risk; Arsenic; Ingestion; Percutaneous route; Local administration; Health and environment; Lead; Selenium; Child; Public health; Human; Oral administration; Feeding; Inhalation; Heavy metal; Trace element; Carcinogen; Coal industry; Health hazards; Daily dose; Topical administration
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.11.124

Coking influences environmental quality and poses high risks to human health as large amounts of heavy metals and metalloids are emitted into the environment from coal during the coking process. Health risks depend heavily on multi-pathway and element-specific exposures, which have, unfortunately, been rarely studied. In this study, children's health risks and exposure levels to As, Se, and heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Co, Zn, Cu, Mn, V and Sb) in the water, soil, dust, air and locally produced food were studied based on field sampling and questionnaire-based surveys around the largest coking area in China. Human blood samples were collected and analyzed to indicate the exposure levels. The non-carcinogenic risks to children mainly resulted from Cr, Mn, Pb, As and Sb, the levels of which were 3 to 10 times higher than the acceptable levels (1.0×10−6). The carcinogenic risks to children were 30 to 200 times higher than the safe level (1.0×10−6–1.0×10−4), which could be attributed to Cr, As and Ni pollution. The estimated risks mainly came from the pathway involving the ingestion of locally produced food, accounting for more than 85% in total for most elements. For As, the food ingestion and air inhalation exposure pathways both contributed approximately 50%, respectively. The high risks in this study highlight the attention paid to the health of children who live in the vicinity of coking activities and the importance of site-specific multi-pathway health risk assessments and food safety to protect potentially exposed children. •The concentration of heavy metals and metalloids in environment and children's blood are observed around the Chinese largest coking plant.•The health risk assessments of children are analyzed.•Foods from the coking plant are heavily contaminated by As, Cr and Se.•Food Ingestion pathway contributes most to children's average daily dose for most heavy metals and metalloids.•Higher potentially non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks happen to the local children.