All-region human health risk assessment of cr(Vi) in a coal chemical plant based on kriging

Abstract

Human health risks of soil Cr(VI) in coal chemical plants have been seldom reported. In this study, we measured soil Cr(VI) concentrations of 153 sites in a coal chemical plant in China. Human health risks of Cr(VI) through three exposure pathways, including inhalation, skin contact and oral intake, were further assessed. A human health risk distribution map of Cr(VI) in the whole plant was obtained using Kriging. The integrated carcinogenic risk of soil Cr(VI) was 15~27 times of the acceptable standard (1.000E-06), while the hazard quotient was within the acceptable range (<1.000). Inhalation of soil particles was the main pathway of Cr(VI) exposure, contributing to 70.53% of the total carcinogenic risk, the recommended control threshold of which was the smallest (0.608 mg·kg-1) among that of the investigated exposure pathways and selected as Cr(VI) safety control threshold for this plant. Moreover, the sites under the highest carcinogenic risk and with the largest hazard quotient were the downwind areas of the slag pile sites of the power unit. This study may provide suggestions for reducing the human health risk of Cr(VI) in the coal chemical industry.