Particulate matter and public health perils: investigating the health risks of road dust and soil particulates in urban settings.

Abstract

Despite global efforts, air pollution continues to be a ubiquitous public health problem, especially in urban environments. Consequently, for the highly urbanized societies like the state of Kuwait, there is an urgent need to identify high-risk areas in order to reduce the risks of exposure to harmful pollutants. Soil and dust particles were collected from 4 different locations under various land use practices and societal activities to assess the potential for health risks posed to Kuwait City residents. Selected potentially toxic elements (PTEs), some of which are given in the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) priority pollutants, were analyzed for contamination factor (CF), ecological risk (ER), and human health assessment (HHA). The CF of metals followed the decreasing order of Co > Cd > As > Ni > Fe > Cr > Ba > Pb. The CF and potential ecological risk index (PERI) were found to be the highest in the road dust collected at the Shuwaikh industrial location. The hazard quotient (HQ) for Arsenic (As) was greater than 1 at all locations. Although carcinogenic risk assessment (CRA) ratios were below the standard limit of 1 × 10^-4 for both children and adults, the ratios were greater for children. The detection of carcinogenic metals such as As, Cd, and Co at pollution degrees > 6 causes concerns about potential health risks, especially during developmental growth stages. This research underscores the urgent need for effective urban planning and pollution control measures by addressing the sources and pathways of road dust and soil particles to better protect public health and improve the quality of life in urban environments. In urban environment, there are diverse sources of pollution and pathways, making it challenging to isolate the relative contribution of road dust and soil particles, requiring further research.