Geostatistical and pollution index-based approach for assessing heavy metal pollution in the Cambro-Ordovician Saq Aquifer in Central Saudi Arabia

Alyousef, Rayan A.; Alfaifi, Hussain J.; Zaidi, Faisal K.; Al-Hashim, Mansour H.

doi:10.1007/s12665-022-10498-3

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…The above results indicate that there is a non-carcinogenic risk associated with soil heavy metals in the asbestos mine and its surrounding areas for both children and adults. Specifically, Cr poses a certain degree of non-carcinogenic risk to both adults and children 51 . Some research findings also suggest that children have higher HI values than adults in various exposure pathways, revealing the fact that children are more susceptible to the harmful effects of toxic heavy metals 20 , 33 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk assessment and source analysis of heavy metals in soil around an asbestos mine in an arid plateau region, China

Li,

Ding,

Xie

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Asbestos is widely used in construction, manufacturing, and other common industrial fields. Human activities such as mining, processing, and transportation can release heavy metals from asbestos into the surrounding soil environment, posing a health hazard to the mining area's environment and its surrounding residents. The purpose of the present study was to determine the extent of ecological and human health damage caused by asbestos pollution, as well as the primary contributors to the contamination, by examining a large asbestos mine and the surrounding soil in China. The level of heavy metal pollution in soil and sources were analyzed using methods such as the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), potential ecological risk index (RI), and positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. A Monte Carlo simulation-based health risk model was employed to assess the health risks of heavy metals in the study area’s soil to human beings. The results showed that the concentrations of As, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Ni in the soil were 1.74, 0.13, 13.31, 0.33, and 33.37 times higher than the local soil background values, respectively. The Igeo assessment indicated significant accumulation effects for Ni, Cr, and As. The RI evaluation revealed extremely high comprehensive ecological risks (RI ≥ 444) in the vicinity of the waste residue heap and beneficiation area, with Ni exhibiting strong individual potential ecological risk (Eir ≥ 320). The soil health risk assessment demonstrated that As and Cr posed carcinogenic risks to adults, with mean carcinogenic indices (CR) of 1.56E − 05 and 4.14E − 06, respectively. As, Cr, and Cd posed carcinogenic risks to children, with mean CRs of 1.08E − 04, 1.61E − 05, and 2.68E − 06, respectively. Cr also posed certain non-carcinogenic risks to both adults and children. The PMF model identified asbestos contamination as the primary source of heavy metals in the soil surrounding the asbestos mining area, contributing to 79.0%. According to this study, it is recommended that management exercise oversight and regulation over the concentrations of Ni, Cr, Cd, and As in the soil adjacent to asbestos mines, establish a designated control zone to restrict population activities, and locate residential zones at a safe distance from the asbestos mine production zone.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk assessment and source analysis of heavy metals in soil around an asbestos mine in an arid plateau region, China

Li,

Ding,

Xie

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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show abstract

“…The above results indicate that there is a non-carcinogenic risk associated with soil heavy metals in the asbestos mine and its surrounding areas for both children and adults. Specifically, Cr poses a certain degree of non-carcinogenic risk to both adults and children [57]. Some research findings also suggest that children have higher HI values than adults in various exposure pathways, revealing the fact that children are more susceptible to the harmful effects of toxic heavy metals [25,58].…”

Section: Probabilistic Health Risk Of Soil Heavy Metalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk Assessment and Source Analysis of Heavy Metals in Soil around an Asbestos Mine in an Arid Plateau Region, China

Li,

Ding,

Xie

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Asbestos is widely used in construction, manufacturing, and other common industrial fields. Human activities such as mining, processing, and transportation can release heavy metals from asbestos into the surrounding soil environment, posing a health hazard to the mining area's environment and its surrounding residents. In this study, a large asbestos mine and its surrounding soil in China were selected as the research objects. The level of heavy metal pollution in soil and sources were analyzed using methods such as the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), potential ecological risk index (RI), and positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. A Monte Carlo simulation-based health risk model was employed to assess the health risks of heavy metals in the study area's soil to human beings. The results showed that the concentrations of As, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Ni in the soil were 1.74, 0.13, 13.31, 0.33, and 33.37 times higher than the local soil background values, respectively. The Igeo assessment indicated significant accumulation effects for Ni, Cr, and As. The RI evaluation revealed extremely high comprehensive ecological risks (RI ≥ 444) in the vicinity of the waste residue heap and beneficiation area, with Ni exhibiting strong individual potential ecological risk (Eir ≥ 320). The soil health risk assessment demonstrated that As and Cr posed carcinogenic risks to adults, with mean carcinogenic indices (CR) of 1.56E-05 and 4.14E-06, respectively. Ni and Pb were considered negligible in terms of carcinogenic risks to adults. As, Cr, and Cd posed carcinogenic risks to children, with mean CRs of 1.08E-04, 1.61E-05, and 2.68E-06, respectively. Cr also posed certain non-carcinogenic risks to both adults and children. The PMF model identified asbestos contamination as the primary source of heavy metals in the soil surrounding the asbestos mining area, contributing to 79.0%, followed by coal combustion emissions (11.1%) and natural emissions (9.9%). The findings of this study can provide a scientific basis for precise risk control and environmental management of asbestos pollution at mining areas.

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“…The unconfined aquifer meets the agricultural water quality standards for conservative and non-conservative water quality parameters. Past studies reported the presence of HMs in the Saq aquifer, one of the primary confined groundwater sources in Saudi Arabia [46]. HMs in shallow wells aquifers cannot be overlooked as hundreds of villagers and farmers working in farms and agricultural fields are potentially exposed to these metals due to the direct use of groundwater for washing, swimming, and bathing (Figure 1).…”

Section: Case Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Fuzzy-Based Human Health Risk Assessment for Shallow Groundwater Well Users in Arid Regions

Thabit,

Haider,

Ghumman

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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The conventional point-estimate human health risk assessment (HHRA) primarily uses average concentrations of a limited number of samples due to the high monitoring costs of heavy metals in groundwater. The results can be erroneous when concentrations significantly deviate from the average across the collected samples in an investigation region. The present research developed a hierarchical fuzzy-based HHRA (F-HHRA) framework to handle variations in limited data sets and subjectively established a broader range of risks for various exposure groups. Groundwater samples from 80 to 120 m deep in shallow wells were collected from agricultural farms along Wadi Rumah in the Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia. Laboratory testing found total dissolved solids much higher than the promulgated drinking water quality standards. As the aftertaste issue eliminated the raw water potability, the study considered dermal exposure for HHRA. The collected samples were tested for thirteen potential heavy metals (HMs), including barium (Ba), boron (B), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), lithium (Li), manganese (Mn), silver (Ag), strontium (Sr), thallium (TI), and zinc (Zn). Cu, Fe, Pb, Ag, and TI were lower than the detectable limit of the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry device. Concentrations of the remaining HMs in wastewater outfalls that were much less than the groundwater eradicated the impact of anthropogenic activities and affirmed natural contamination. Apart from 10% of the samples for Mn and 90% of the samples for Sr, all the other HMs remained within the desired maximum allowable concentrations. Point-estimate and fuzzy-based approaches yielded ‘low’ dermal non-cancer risk and cancer risk for all groups other than adults, where dermal cancer risk of Cr remained in the ‘acceptable’ (1 × 10−6 and 1 × 10−5) risk zone. Although dermal risk does not require controls, scenario analysis established the rationality of F-HHRA for more contaminated samples. The proposed hierarchical F-HHRA framework will facilitate the decision-makers in concerned agencies to plan risk mitigation strategies (household level and decentralized systems) for shallow well consumers in Saudi Arabia and other arid regions.

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Geostatistical and pollution index-based approach for assessing heavy metal pollution in the Cambro-Ordovician Saq Aquifer in Central Saudi Arabia

Cited by 4 publications

References 68 publications

Risk assessment and source analysis of heavy metals in soil around an asbestos mine in an arid plateau region, China

Risk assessment and source analysis of heavy metals in soil around an asbestos mine in an arid plateau region, China

Risk Assessment and Source Analysis of Heavy Metals in Soil around an Asbestos Mine in an Arid Plateau Region, China

Fuzzy-Based Human Health Risk Assessment for Shallow Groundwater Well Users in Arid Regions

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