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Health risk assessment of heavy metals in soil, plant, and water samples near “Gacko” power plant, in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Abstract

This study assesses heavy metal content in soil, water, and plant material from sites located around the lignite mine and the power plant “Gacko”, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The samples were collected, prepared, and analyzed for heavy metals content using the flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Samples were analyzed for cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, manganese, and iron. To identify the relationship among the metals in samples and their possible sources, Pearson’s correlation and principal component analysis were performed. Health risk assessment was applied to establish potential health risks posed to humans caused by contaminants in different environmental compartments. The results of our analyses show that most soil samples contain copper, and one of those samples had a copper concentration of more than 70 µg/g, which is a critical upper value for agricultural use. In the soil samples that were analyzed, cadmium was also detected, and its concentration was greater than 2 µg/g. Lead, on the other hand, had a concentration that was higher than the maximum permissible for unpolluted soils in 40% of the soil samples that were analyzed. Lead and cadmium concentrations in surface waters mostly contribute to a non-carcinogenic risk in the scenario of recreational swimming exposure. The presence of Cd, a highly toxic element in water, may be explained by the leaching of artificial fertilizers used in the study area, whereas Pb’s origin may be geological. The results of this study recommend routine heavy metal monitoring in samples of soil, water, and plants from the examined area so that, if metal concentrations continue increasing, remedial action should be advised to prevent accumulation in the food chain.

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The datasets used in the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was performed within the framework supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of Republic of Serbia, contract number: 451-03-47/2023-01/200168.

Funding

This work was performed within the framework supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Republic of Serbia. Contract number: 451–03-47/2023–01/200168.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Save Mrkalja 14, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Vesna Antunović

  2. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Science and Mathematics, University of Banja Luka, Mladena Stojanovića 2, 78000, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Dragana Blagojević

  3. University of Belgrade - Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski Trg 12-16, Belgrade, Serbia

    Rada Baošić, Dubravka Relić & Aleksandar Lolić

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  1. Vesna Antunović
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Contributions

Vesna Antunović and Dragana Blagojević, sampling, sample preparation and metals analysis; Rada Baošić, principal component analysis, writing, editing; Dubravka Relić, supervision, health risk assessment, writing, editing; Aleksandar Lolić, supervision, writing, review and editing. All authors have read, understood, and have complied as applicable with the statement on “Ethical responsibilities of Authors” as found in the instructions for authors and are aware that with minor exceptions, no changes can be made to authorship once the paper is submitted.

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Antunović, V., Blagojević, D., Baošić, R. et al. Health risk assessment of heavy metals in soil, plant, and water samples near “Gacko” power plant, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Environ Monit Assess 195, 596 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11232-7

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