Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Heavy metal and metalloid contamination and health risk assessment in spring water on the territory of Belgrade City, Serbia

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this research was to examine the content of heavy metals and metalloids in the spring water on the territory of Belgrade City and their health risk. This paper presents results of the content and non-carcinogenic health risk assessment of aluminum, iron, chromium, manganese, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead, as well as carcinogenic health risk assessment of arsenic, in untreated spring water on the territory of Belgrade City. 23 out of 30 registered and controlled springs in Belgrade City were sampled and examined. The analysis of all samples was done using an ICP-MS. Descriptive and multivariate statistical analysis of data was done, and based on Shapiro–Wilk test of normality, all data sets, from which mean values of heavy metals and metalloids were calculated, have normal distribution. Pearson’s correlation coefficient for the examined elements was determined too, as well as spatial distribution and cluster analysis with dendrogram. Based on heavy metal and metalloid concentrations, the health risk assessment (HQ) was calculated. Although the concentrations of certain heavy metals and metalloids in untreated water were in a wide range of values and differed significantly, in a large number of springs concentrations of most of the investigated heavy metals and metalloids were lower than the maximum permissible concentrations prescribed by the legislation of the Republic of Serbia and do not show unacceptable non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ali, M. M., Ali, M. L., Islam, M. S., & Rahman, M. Z. (2016). Preliminary assessment of heavy metals in water and sediment of Karnaphuli River, Bangladesh. Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring and Management, 5, 27–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson-Lynch, H., Beck, B. D., & Boardman, P. D. (1994). Arsenic risk assessment. Environmental Health Perspectives, 102(4), 354–356.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chang-Yu, C., Tsu-Kung, L., Yi-Chuang, C., Yi-Fen, W., Huey- Wen, S., Kuan-Hua, L., et al. (2010). Nickel(II)-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis, G2/M arrest, and genotoxicity in normal rat kidney cells. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 73, 529–539.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chotpantarat, S., & Sutthirat, C. (2011). Different sorption approaches and leachate fluxes affecting on Mn2+ transport through lateritic aquifer. American Journal of Environmental Science, 7(1), 65–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chowdhury, S., Mazumder, J. M. A., Al-Attas, O., & Husain, T. (2016). Heavy metals in drinking water: Occurrences, implications, and future needs in developing countries. Science of the Total Environment, 569–570, 476–488.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crnković, D., Ristić, M., & Antonović, D. (2006). Distribution of heavy metals and arsenic in soils of Belgrade (Serbia and Montenegro). Soil Sediment Contam., 15, 581–589.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cukrov, N., Frančišković-Bilinski, S., & Bogner, D. (2014). Metal contamination recorded in the sediment of the semi-closed Bakar Bay (Croatia). Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 36, 195–208.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cvjetković, M. (2008). Development and Reforms 2000–2008. Belgrade: Public Communal Company Belgrade water supply and sewerage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dieter, H. H., Bayer, T. A., & Multhaup, G. (2005). Environmental copper and manganese in the pathophysiology of neurologic diseases (Alzheimer’s disease and Manganism). Acta Hydrochimica et Hydrobiologica, 33, 72–78.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Duncana, A. E., de Vriesa, N., & Nyarkob, K. B. (2018). Assessment of heavy metal pollution in the main Pra River and its tributaries in the Pra Basin of Ghana. Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring and Management, 10, 264–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiket, Ž., Roje, V., Mikac, N., & Kniewald, G. (2007). Determination of arsenic and other trace elements in bottled waters by high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Croatica Chemica Acta, 80, 91–100.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gong, R., Zhang, D., Zhong, K., Feng, M., & Liu, X. (2008). Determination of trace copper in water samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry after preconcentration on a phosphoric acid functionalized cotton chelator. Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society, 73, 249–258.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. (2001). Dietary reference intakes for vitamin A, vitamin K, arsenic, boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, vanadium and zinc. Washington DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jarup, L. (2003). Hazards of heavy metal contamination. British Medical Bulletin, 68, 167–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karahan, G., Taskin, H., Bingoldag, N., Kapdan, E., & Yilmaz, Y. Z. (2018). Environmental impact assessment of natural radioactivity and heavy metals in drinking water around Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Mersin Province. Turkish Journal of Chemistry, 42, 735–747.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Knight, C., Kaiser, G. C., Robothum, Lailor H., & Witter, J. V. (1997). Heavy metals in surface water and stream sediments in Jamaica. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 19, 63–66.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liang, Y., Yi, X., Dang, Z., Wang, Q., Luo, H., & Tang, J. (2017). Heavy metal contamination and health risk assessment in the vicinity of a tailing pond in Guangdong, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14, 1557. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14121557.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loubieres, Y., Lassence, A. D., Bernier, M., Baron, A. V., Schmitt, J. M., Page, B., et al. (1999). Acute, fatal, oral chromic acid poisoning. Journal of Toxicology - Clinical Toxicology, 37, 333–336.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Makajić-Nikolić, D., Ćirović, M., Petrović, N., Vujošević, M., & Presburger Ulniković V. (2013). Environmental risk analysis of black and grey wastewater on the Danube, SYM-OP-IS 2013, Zlatibor, 9-14

  • Makajic-Nikolic, D., Petrovic, N., Cirovic, M., Vujosevic, M., & Presburger-Ulnikovic, V. (2016). The model of risk assessment of greywater discharges from the Danube River ships. Journal of Risk Research, 19(4), 496–514.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marcovecchio, J. E., Botte, S. E., & Freije, R. H. (2007). Heavy metals, major metals, trace elements. In L. M. Nollet (Ed.), Handbook of water analysis (2nd ed., pp. 275–311). London: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mortada, W. I., Sobh, M. A., El-Defrawy, M. M., & Farahat, S. E. (2001). Study of lead exposure from automobile exhaust as a risk for nephrotoxicity among traffic policemen. American Journal of Nephrology, 21, 274–279.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mushak, P., & Crocetti, A. F. (1995). Risk and revisionism in arsenic cancer risk assessment. Environmental Health Perspectives, 103(7–8), 6834–6839.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakadaira, H., Nakamura, K., Mutoh, K., Yamamoto, M., & Katoh, K. (2000). Arsenic residues in well water 36 y after endemic arsenic poisoning. Archives of Environmental Health, 55(5), 364.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nordberg, G., Jin, T., Bernard, A., Fierens, S., Buchet, J. P., Ye, T., et al. (2002). Low bone density and renal dysfunction following environmental cadmium exposure in China. Ambio, 31, 478–481.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ouyang, Y., Higman, J., Thompson, J., Toole, O. T., & Campbell, D. (2002). Characterization and spatial distribution of heavy metals in sediment from Cedar and Ortega Rivers sub-basin. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 54, 19–35.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Perić-Grujić, A., Pocajt, V., & Ristić, M. (2009). Determination of heavy metal content in teas from the market in Belgrade, Serbia. Hem. Ind., 63, 433–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Presburger Ulnikovic, V., Mrazovac Kurilic, S., Staletovic, N., Trifunovic, M., & Cibulic V. (2017a). The systematization of contamination degree assessment of sediments and ecological risk, conference “Eco-ist 2017”, Proceedings XXV (pp. 542–548).

  • Presburger Ulniković, V., Mrazovac Kurilić, S., Trifunović, M., Cibulić, V., Staletović N. (2017b). Systematization of sediments contamination degree estimation by heavy metals and ecological risk in aquatic environment. In National Conference of the Serbian Society for Water Protection with International Participation “Water 2017” (pp. 193–200).

  • Rashed, M. N. (2010). Monitoring of contaminated toxic and heavy metals from mine tailings through age accumulation in soil and some wild plants at Southeast Egypt. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 178(1–3), 739–746.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rasool, A., Xiao, T., Farooqi, A., Shafeeque, M., Masood, S., Ali, S., et al. (2016). Arsenic and heavy metal contaminations in the tube well water of Punjab, Pakistan and risk assessment: A case study. Ecological Engineering, 95, 90–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rekalić, V. (1998). Analysis of air and water pollutants. Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy: University of Belgrade.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rulebook on hygienic correctness of drinking water. (1998/1999). Official Gazette of SRY, 42/98, 144/99.

  • Sadeghi, F., Nasseri, S., Mesdaghinia, A., Yunesian, M., Nabizadeh, R., & Mosaferi, M. (2018). Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessments of arsenic contamination in drinking water of Ardabil city in the Northwest of Iran. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 53(5), 421–429.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, S. S., Wilk, M. B., & Chen, H. J. (1968). A comparative study of various tests for normality. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 63, 1343–1372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simonič, M. (2009). Removal of inorganic As5+ from a small drinking water system. Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society, 74, 85–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SRPS ISO 5667-6:1997. Water quality—Sampling—Part 6: Guidelines for sampling from rivers and streams.

  • SRPS ISO 5667-11:2005. Water quality—Sampling—Part 11: Guidelines for taking samples from groundwater.

  • SRPS ISO 5667-5:2008. Water quality—Sampling—Part 5: Guidelines for taking samples of drinking water from a water treatment plant and from a distribution system.

  • Steenland, K., & Boffetta, P. (2000). Lead and cancer in humans: where are we now? American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 38, 295–299.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taboada-Castro, M., Diéguez-Villar, A., Luz, Rodrıguez-Blanco M., & Teresa, Taboada-Castro M. (2012). Agricultural impact of dissolved trace elements in runoff water from an experimental catchment with hand-use changes. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 43, 81–87.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • US EPA. (1992). Guidelines for Exposure Assessment, EPA/600/Z-92/001, Risk Assessment Forum, Washington, DC.

  • US EPA. (2005). Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment, EPA/630/P-03/001F, Risk Assessment Forum, Washington, DC.

  • US EPA Human Health Risk Assessment Protocol. (1998). EPA-530-D-98-001A. USEPA: Washington, DC.

  • USEPA IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System). (2011). http://www.epa.gov/iris/. Accessed 15 January, 2011.

  • Wasserman, G., Liu, X., Parvez, F., Ahsan, H., Levy, D., Litvak, P. F., et al. (2006). Water manganese exposure and children’s intellectual functions in Araihazar, Bangladesh. Environmental Health Perspectives, 114, 124–129.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO. (2008). Guidelines for drinking water quality, 3rd edn., incorporating the first and second addenda. Volume 1, Recommendations. Geneva: World Health Organization.

  • Wongsasuluk, P., Chotpantarat, S., Siriwong, W., & Robson, M. (2014). Heavy metal contamination and human health risk assessment in drinking water from shallow groundwater wells in an agricultural area in Ubon Ratchathani province, Thailand. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 36, 169–182.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yan, M., Nie, H., Wang, W., Huang, Y., & Wang, J. (2018). Occurrence and toxicological risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals in drinking water resources of Southern China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15, 1422. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15071422.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University “Union-Nikola Tesla”, Cara Dušana 62-64, Belgrade, Serbia

    Vladanka Presburger Ulniković & Sanja Mrazovac Kurilić

Authors
  1. Vladanka Presburger Ulniković
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sanja Mrazovac Kurilić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sanja Mrazovac Kurilić.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 17 kb)

Supplementary material 2 (DOCX 19 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ulniković, V.P., Kurilić, S.M. Heavy metal and metalloid contamination and health risk assessment in spring water on the territory of Belgrade City, Serbia. Environ Geochem Health 42, 3731–3751 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-020-00617-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-020-00617-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation