Contamination and health risk assessment of heavy metals in PM10 in mining and smelting basin Bor in Serbia

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate concentration and spatial distribution of four heavy metal elements (As, Cd, Pb, and Ni) in PM10 in town near mining and smelting basin, Bor (Serbia). Human health risks for each heavy metal were assessed using a human exposure model. Results showed that air does not contain significant heavy metal elements concentrations at all three measurement points in Bor. The spatial distribution pattern of all tested metals coincided with the locations of mining area and the most populated part of town (domestic sources and traffic), as well as wind direction. The contamination evaluation indicated that As, Cd, Ni and Pb in air originated from anthropogenic sources-industry, heating and traffic. The non-cancer health risk assessment showed that ingestion was the primary exposure route for all metals and that Pb, and As were the main contributors to non-cancer risks in both children and adults. HI values were calculated for children (HI = 2.34–4.15E-06), indicating that children will likely experience higher health risks compared with adults (HI = 2.67–4.73E-07). The non-cancer risks posed by all studied heavy metal elements and the cancer risks posed by As, Cd, and Ni to both children and adults in Serbia fell within the acceptable range.