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Ecological and human health risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in road dust in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, India

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Abstract

The present study was carried out to determine the contamination levels of heavy metals in road dust of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), India and its consequent effect on human and environment. The levels of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Mn, and Fe) in 9 districts (Z1–Z9) of NCT were monitored and the corresponding human health risk was estimated. District-wise evaluation of heavy metal pollution in the road dust was performed. The mean concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Mn, and Fe in the road dust samples over the study area were 164.2 ± 53.2, 200.7 ± 45.3, 99.9 ± 64.8, 24.7 ± 5.7, 57.7 ± 25.9, 241.4 ± 39.8, and 11113.9 ± 1669.7 mg kg−1, respectively. PLI showed a high pollution load in the monitored nine locations, indicating an alarming condition and the urgent need for immediate remedial actions. Ecological risk assessment depicted that a 74% risk was attributed to Pb. Hazard quotient (HQ) values indicated that ingestion was the major pathway of road dust heavy metal exposure to human beings. Hazard index values showed that there was no probable non-carcinogenic risk of the heavy metals present in the road dust of the area. Children were found vulnerable to the risks of road dust metals. The findings of this study showed the alarming status of heavy metal contamination to road dust in NCT and the associated risk to human health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India

    Sayantee Roy, Sanjay Kumar Gupta, Jai Prakash & Gazala Habib

  2. Centre for Environmental Sciences, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, India

    Kuldeep Baudh

  3. Sanitary Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21544, Egypt

    Mahmoud Nasr

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  1. Sayantee Roy
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  2. Sanjay Kumar Gupta
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  3. Jai Prakash
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  4. Gazala Habib
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  5. Kuldeep Baudh
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Correspondence to Sanjay Kumar Gupta.

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Roy, S., Gupta, S.K., Prakash, J. et al. Ecological and human health risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in road dust in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, India. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 30413–30425 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06216-5

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