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Human health risk assessment of lead, manganese and copper from scrapped car paint dust from automobile workshops in Nigeria

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Abstract

The economic downturn in Nigeria and Structural Adjustment Programme led to the flooding of Nigerian market with imported used automobiles. Most of these vehicles needed refurbishing and reworking. The present study is a human health risk assessment of metal exposure resulting from reworking of imported used vehicles in Nigeria. Scrap paint dusts from 56 Japanese made cars were collected from 8 different mechanic villages (workshops A–H] in Southeastern Nigeria. Scrap paints were homogenized, mixed, divided into fine particles and digested by standard method. The filtrates were assayed of lead, manganese and copper with atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Workshop B has the highest concentration of Pb (4.26 ± 0.93). Manganese in workshops A and F were (3.31 ± 0.85) and (3.04 ± 0.47) respectively and were higher than the levels from workshops C, B, D, G and H. Copper in workshop D (7.11 ± 0.21) was significantly greater than the other workshops. The highest hazard quotient (HQ) through ingestion, inhalation and dermal exposures in adults were 9.44E−05 (workshop B), 4.20E−01 (workshop B) and 1.08E−05 (workshop D) respectively. The highest values for HQ through ingestion, inhalation and dermal in children were 8.82E−04, 7.61E−01 and 2.86E−05 all in workshop B respectively. For children, the highest carcinogenic risk levels were 7.05E−08, 6.09E−05 and 2.29E−10 for ingestion, inhalation and dermal exposures respectively. In adults, the carcinogenic risk levels were 7.55E−09, 3.39E−05 and 8.67E−10 for ingestion, inhalation and dermal exposures respectively. Chronic exposure to scrap car paint dusts may be of significant public health importance in Nigeria as this may add to the body burden of some heavy metals.

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Acknowledgment

We acknowledge the efforts of Mr. Vincent Nwaliegi Okafor in the collection of scrap car paint dust samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology Research Unit, Pure and Industrial Chemistry Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria

    John Kanayochukwu Nduka & John Paul Onyenezi Amuka

  2. Department of Chemistry, Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

    John Kanayochukwu Nduka & Jude Chinedu Onwuka

  3. Toxicology Unit, Department of Experimental Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Port-Harcourt, Port-Harcourt, Nigeria

    Nnaemeka Arinze Udowelle & Orish Ebere Orisakwe

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  1. John Kanayochukwu Nduka
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  2. John Paul Onyenezi Amuka
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  5. Orish Ebere Orisakwe
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Correspondence to Orish Ebere Orisakwe.

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Communicated by: Philippe Garrigues

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Nduka, J.K., Onyenezi Amuka, J.P., Onwuka, J.C. et al. Human health risk assessment of lead, manganese and copper from scrapped car paint dust from automobile workshops in Nigeria. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 20341–20349 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7219-7

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