Detection of exposition risk to arsenic in Portugal assessed by air deposition in biomonitors and water contamination.
Human exposure risk to environmental arsenic is evaluated by combining drinking water and atmospheric deposition, assessed tap water analysis and a moss biomonitoring survey. Water analyses are assessed through mandatory national and European regulations for the supplying areas. Moss concentrations were determined as part of a biomonitoring survey performed at a national level in 2002. For each of the parameters, continuous maps of indicator values were determined applying geostatistical methods, namely indicator kriging. The exposure risk of human populations was determined afterwards combining the indicator values of water and biomonitoring values. The identified regions of accumulated water and atmospheric exposure are in the inland north and central areas of the country.
Figueira
Rui
R
CERENA, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal. pcrfigueira@alfa.ist.utl.pt
Sérgio
Cecília
C
Lopes
José Leal
JL
Sousa
A Jorge
AJ
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D044002:Bryophyta / Q000737:chemistry*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D011174:Portugal; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
D000393:Air Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001151:Arsenic