Investigation of heavy metals in indoor dusts of households in an indubitable range from a landfill located in south-western India

¹ School of Environmental Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, India
² School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, India
³ Inter University Instrumentation Centre, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, India

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Waste treatment plants, landfills, and dump yards are surplus in trash that emits various elements, including heavy metals, into the atmosphere either by human activities or by any fire events. This study investigates the heavy metals in indoor dusts of households situated at various directions and varying distances away from the landfill and its impact on human health and the environment. The concentration of heavy metals in dust samples followed the order (mg/kg): Fe (14905.68) > Mn (377.57) > Cu (275) > Zn (219.41) > Cr (145.91) > Pb (124.86) > Ni (68.89) > Cd (5.58). The contamination factor underscores elevated pollution for Zn and Pb (marker elements) and pollution load index showed contamination in most of the sites. While considering health risk assessments, the Hazard Index (HI) for non-carcinogenic effects on both children and adults indicates values < 1. Carcinogenic effects possessed values in the appreciable category except for dermal exposure for Cd, where the values fell in the acceptable risk category, suggesting no immediate harm to the exposed population. The study postulates that the high pollution index levels may hint at potential future risk. The study also demonstrates the significance of risk assessment formulas for immediate health risk assessment.