title: Levels of metals and PCDD/Fs in the vicinity of a cement plant: assessment of human health risks.
abstract: In April 2009, a cement plant located in Sant Feliu de Llobregat (Catalonia, NE Spain) stopped its normal operations. To establish the environmental impact of the facility and the health risks for the population living in the neighbourhood, the concentrations of a number of metals and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were determined in soil, vegetation and air samples in three different surveys, which were carried out before and after the facility stopped the cement production. The influence of the cement plant was found to be low in comparison with other potential emission sources in the area, as no decrease in the immission concentrations was noted after the facility ceased its industrial activity. No significant differences were observed in human health risks derived from the exposure to metals and PCDD/Fs before and after the plant ceased the cement production. Risk values for the population living near the facility were similar to those found for residents living in a number of urban and suburban areas.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rovira
authors.forename: Montse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.forename: Martí
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nadal
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schuhmacher
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Domingo
mesh_terms: D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D003252:Construction Materials; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins