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Arsenic and lead in the indoor residential settings of different socio-economic status; assessment of human health risk via dust exposure

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Abstract

In the present study, occurrence of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) is reported in rural and urban household dust (floor and AC filter dust) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Several studies have found concerning concentrations of these toxic metals in indoor dust from different countries, but data from this region is missing. The association between studied toxic metals and different socioeconomic parameters was investigated. Furthermore, health risk associated with these toxic metals via dust exposure was evaluated for the Saudi population. Mean concentration of Pb was several times higher than As in both types of dust samples. AC filter dust was more contaminated with these metals than floor dust. Levels of Pb were up to 775 ppm in AC filter dust from urban areas, while 167 ppm in rural AC filter dust. Different socioeconomic parameters did not influence much on the presence of studied metals in both AC and floor dust. To estimate health risk from contaminated dust hazardous index (HI), hazardous quotient (HQ), and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) via dust ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact was calculate using USEPA equations. The ILCR range for both toxic metals was within the tolerable range of reference values of USEPA (1 × 10−5 to 5 × 10−7). Nonetheless, HI was close to 1 for Pb via dust exposure for young urban children, which signifies the risk of non-carcinogenic health problems in studied area.

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Acknowledgments

The Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR) at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia funded this Project under grant no. G: 427-140-1440. The authors, therefore, acknowledged with thanks DSR for technical and financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdulaziz University, P.O Box: 80216, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia

    Nadeem Ali, Muhammad Imtiaz Rashid, Khurram Shahzad & Iqbal Mohammad Ibrahim Ismail

  2. Public Health and Environment division, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Syed Ali Musstjab Akber Shah Eqani

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan

    Ehtisham Nazar

  4. Pharmaceutics department, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Nabil A. Alhakamy

  5. Department of Environmental and Health Research, The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Institute of Hajj and Umrah Research, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

    Jahan Zeb

  6. Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, **amen, 361021, People’s Republic of China

    Heqing Shen

  7. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Iqbal Mohammad Ibrahim Ismail

  8. Family and Community Medicine Department, College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Hussain Mohammed Salem Ali Albar

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  1. Nadeem Ali
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  10. Hussain Mohammed Salem Ali Albar
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Contributions

Conceptualization: Nadeem Ali, Syed Ali Musstjab Akber Shah Eqani, and Hussain Mohammed Salem Ali Albar. Sampling: Nadeem Ali, Nabil A. Alhakamy, Muhammad Imtiaz Rashid, and Khurram Shahzad. Sample analysis: Syed Ali Musstjab Akber Shah Eqani, Ehtisham Nazar, and Heqing Shen. Statistical analysis: Nadeem Ali, Muhammad Imtiaz Rashid, and Jahan Zeb. Writing—review and editing: Nadeem Ali, Syed Ali Musstjab Akber Shah Eqani, Ehtisham Nazar, Nabil A. Alhakamy, Muhammad Imtiaz Rashid, Khurram Shahzad, Jahan Zeb, and Iqbal Mohammad Ibrahim Ismail.

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Correspondence to Nadeem Ali.

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Highlights

• First study to report As and Pb in household indoor dust of Saudi Arabia.

• AC filter dust was more contaminated with As and Pb than floor dust.

• Urban household dust contained multifold Pb than rural household dust.

• Dust ingestion was the primary exposure route.

• Pb related non-carcinogenic risk via dust exposure was high for the urban population.

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Ali, N., Eqani, S.A.M.A.S., Nazar, E. et al. Arsenic and lead in the indoor residential settings of different socio-economic status; assessment of human health risk via dust exposure. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 13288–13299 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11546-w

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