Characteristics, Sources, Exposure, and Health Effects of Heavy Metals in Atmospheric Particulate Matter

IF 6.4 2区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Current Pollution Reports Pub Date : 2025-03-03 DOI:10.1007/s40726-025-00344-y

Yafeng Liu, Feng Xu, Wenqiang Liu, Xin Liu, Dejin Wang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review aims to explore the characteristics, sources, exposure risks, and health impacts of heavy metal (HM) pollution in atmospheric particulate matter (PM). The goal is to address how PM and HM pollution vary across regions, seasons, and particle sizes, as well as to assess the risks posed by exposure to these pollutants. To reflect recent advancements and emerging trends, only studies published since 2020 are included.

Recent Findings

Recent research highlights significant variations in PM and HM pollution based on geographic location, seasonal factors, and particle size. Urban areas tend to have higher concentrations of Zn and Fe in indoor PM, while rural areas experience greater increases in metals like Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn. Outdoor PM pollution is primarily driven by traffic emissions, agricultural activities, industrial processes, and soil dust. In contrast, indoor PM pollution is mainly attributed to combustion, cooking, road dust, building materials, and metal smelting. Health risk assessments consistently show that children face higher non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks than adults, especially when considering all exposure pathways, including inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact.

Summary

This review concludes that HM pollution in PM presents significant regional and seasonal variability, with children at greater risk for both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health effects. The findings emphasize the need for more research into indoor air quality and the monitoring of highly toxic heavy metals, which will be crucial for improving public health assessments and mitigating the impacts of PM pollution.

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大气颗粒物中重金属的特征、来源、暴露和健康影响

综述目的探讨大气颗粒物（PM）中重金属污染的特征、来源、暴露风险及其对健康的影响。目标是解决PM和HM污染如何在地区，季节和颗粒大小之间变化，以及评估暴露于这些污染物所带来的风险。为了反映最近的进展和新趋势，仅包括自2020年以来发表的研究。最近的发现最近的研究强调了基于地理位置、季节因素和颗粒大小的PM和HM污染的显著差异。城市地区室内颗粒物中锌和铁的浓度往往较高，而农村地区的铜、锰、铅和锌等金属的浓度则增加得更多。室外PM污染主要由交通排放、农业活动、工业过程和土壤粉尘驱动。相比之下，室内PM污染主要归因于燃烧，烹饪，道路粉尘，建筑材料和金属冶炼。健康风险评估一致表明，儿童面临的非致癌性和致癌性风险高于成人，特别是考虑到所有接触途径，包括吸入、摄入和皮肤接触。本综述得出结论，PM中的HM污染存在显著的区域和季节差异，儿童在非致癌性和致癌性健康影响方面面临更大的风险。研究结果强调需要对室内空气质量和高毒性重金属进行更多的研究，这对于改善公共卫生评估和减轻PM污染的影响至关重要。

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来源期刊

Current Pollution Reports Environmental Science-Water Science and Technology

CiteScore

12.10

自引率

1.40%

发文量

期刊介绍： Current Pollution Reports provides in-depth review articles contributed by international experts on the most significant developments in the field of environmental pollution.By presenting clear, insightful, balanced reviews that emphasize recently published papers of major importance, the journal elucidates current and emerging approaches to identification, characterization, treatment, management of pollutants and much more.