Health risk assessment related to an effect of sample size fractions: methodological remarks

Abstract

Contents of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined in the material collected in sandboxes of seven spa resorts located in S Poland (CCE) and their results used to establish a health risk of children. After sieving out grains > 2 mm, the bulk samples were quantitatively separated into four grain fractions: 2000–1000, 1000–200, 200–63 and < 63 µm. In each of them were determined: the mineral composition, the total contents of the elements, and the distribution of the elements among the fractions distribution factor. In the bulk material < 2 mm, the totals of the elements are 5–64 times lower than in the finest fractions (< 63 µm). Considering that the finest fractions are enriched in clay minerals such as clinochlore, illite and kaolinite, which can adsorb and desorb metals, this material is most dangerous for children, staying both permanently and temporarily in the spas. The total health risks HI resulting from non-carcinogenic elements present in the fractions < 63 µm are 1.26 and 0.94, for the children-residents 3 and 6 years old, respectively. The figures are disturbing as one of them exceeds and the other is close to a permissible limit of 1. The highest contribution (93.4%) into the total HI is caused by inadvertent swallowing the soil "dirt": the ingestion path HQ _ing for the 3 years old residents is 1.17, and for the 6-year olds 0.88. With respect to the elements, the highest is the risk resulting from Pb: HQ _in values of the residents are 4.71E−01 and 3.54E−01 for the 3-year olds and the 6-year olds. Slightly lower are the HQ _ing values calculated for both age groups: in the case of Cr—3.12E−01 and 2.34E−01 and As—2.92E−01 and 2.19E−01). The dermal path (HQ _dermal ) contributes to the total HI much less as it equals 6.5%, while the contribution of the inhalation path (HQ _inhal ) is considerably the lowest and equals only 0.1%. The Risk indexes determined in the case of cancerogenic components for both age groups of the spa residents are lower than the permissible limit 10E−5 and equal 6.48E−06 and 9.72E−06, respectively. Considering the children that only visit the spas, all the calculated indexes, i.e., HI and Risk, are significantly lower than those determined for the children-residents.

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