Health risks of dust metals near bitumen mixing plants in Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the levels of six metals present in road dust collected in the vicinity of a concrete mixing plant, in order to understand their distribution characteristics and evaluate the environmental and health risks associated with road dust pollution. The concentrations of metals in road dust were found to decrease in the following order: Ca (27,912.4 mg/kg) > Mg (7,353.9 mg/kg) > Ti (1,367.4 mg/kg) > Cr (56.0 mg/kg) > Pb (22.5 mg/kg) > As (5.7 mg/kg). Ca and Mg accounted for over 96% of the total metals, indicating the influence of cement dust from concrete mixing activities. The spatial distribution of metals exhibited variations, and the correlation analysis revealed that metals such as Pb and As may originate from different sources. Among the metals analyzed, As demonstrated the highest accumulation, enrichment, and pollutant load index compared to the other metals. Children were found to be at a higher risk of health effects than adults when exposed to the metals present in road dust. Additionally, Cr exhibited the highest carcinogenic risk for both children (5.38E-4) and adults (4.94E-5). This study provides valuable insights into the distribution characteristics of metals associated with concrete mixing operations, contributing to the management of metal pollution in road dust in Ho Chi Minh City.