Human exposure pathways of heavy metals in a lead-zinc mining area, Jiangsu Province, China.

ABSTRACT: Heavy metal pollution is becoming a serious issue in developing countries such as China, and the public is increasingly aware of its adverse health impacts in recent years. We assessed the potential health risks in a lead-zinc mining area and attempted to identify the key exposure pathways. We evaluated the spatial distributions of personal exposure using indigenous exposure factors and field monitoring results of water, soil, food, and indoor and outdoor air samples. The risks posed by 10 metals and the contribution of inhalation, ingestion and dermal contact pathways to these risks were estimated. Human hair samples were also analyzed to indicate the exposure level in the human body. Our results show that heavy metal pollution may pose high potential health risks to local residents, espe

SUBMITTER: Qu CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3496726 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature