Potentially Harmful Elements Associated with Dust of Mosques: Pollution Status, Sources, and Human Health Risks.

ABSTRACT: Potentially harmful elements (PHEs) associated with dust generated from anthropogenic sources can be transported into mosques and deposited on the filters of the air-conditioners (AC); thereby, children and adults are exposed to such PHEs while visiting mosques. Data dealing with the assessment of PHEs pollution and its human health risk in mosques dust in Saudi Arabia are scarce. Therefore, this work aims to examine the levels and pollution status of PHEs in AC filter dust (ACFD) of mosques and their associated human health risk in three Saudi cities: Jubail, Jeddah, and Dammam metropolitan. A similar concentration pattern of PHEs is observed in three cities' mosques with noticeably higher concentrations than both global crustal and local background values for Zn, Cu, Pb, As, and Cd only.

SUBMITTER: Tawabini B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9916264 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature