title: Spatial gradient of human health risk from exposure to trace elements and radioactive pollutants in soils at the Puchuncaví-Ventanas industrial complex, Chile.
abstract: The Punchuncaví Valley in central Chile, heavily affected by a range of anthropogenic emissions from a localized industrial complex, has been studied as a model environment for evaluating the spatial gradient of human health risk, which are mainly caused by trace elemental pollutants in soil. Soil elemental profiles in 121 samples from five selected locations representing different degrees of impact from the industrial source were used for human risk estimation. Distance to source dependent cumulative non-carcinogenic hazard indexes above 1 for children (max 4.4 - min 1.5) were found in the study area, ingestion being the most relevant risk pathway. The significance of health risk differences within the study area was confirmed by statistical analysis (ANOVA and HCA) of individual hazard index values at the five sampling locations. As was the dominant factor causing unacceptable carcinogenic risk levels for children (<10-4) at the two sampling locations which are closer to the industrial complex, whereas the risk was just in the tolerable range (10-6- 10-4) for children and adults in the rest of the sampling locations at the study area. Furthermore, we assessed gamma ray radiation external hazard indexes and annual effective dose rate from the natural radioactivity elements (226Ra,232Th and40K) levels in the surface soils of the study area. The highest average values for the specific activity of232Th (31 Bq kg-1),40K (615 Bq kg- 1), and226Ra (25 Bq kg-1) are lower than limit recommended by OECD, so no significant radioactive risk was detected within the study area. In addition, no significant variability of radioactive risk was observed among sampling locations.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Analítica and IACYS, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de Elvas, s/n, E-06006, Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salmani-Ghabeshi
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Analítica and IACYS, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de Elvas, s/n, E-06006, Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Palomo-Marín
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Analítica and IACYS, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de Elvas, s/n, E-06006, Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bernalte
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Analítica and IACYS, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de Elvas, s/n, E-06006, Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rueda-Holgado
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, E-10071, Cáceres, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miró-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. de España, 1680, Valparaíso, Chile; Centro de Tecnologías Ambientales, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. de España, 1680, Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cereceda-Balic
authors.affiliation: Centro de Tecnologías Ambientales, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. de España, 1680, Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fadic
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. de España, 1680, Valparaíso, Chile; Centro de Tecnologías Ambientales, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. de España, 1680, Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.affiliation: Centro de Tecnologías Ambientales, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. de España, 1680, Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Funes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Analítica and IACYS, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de Elvas, s/n, E-06006, Badajoz, Spain. Electronic address: epinilla@unex.es.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pinilla-Gil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity; D002648:Child; D002677:Chile; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced; D009532:Nickel / Q000633:toxicity; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D062206:Spatial Analysis; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D011848:Radioactive Pollutants; D012987:Soil; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014131:Trace Elements; D002104:Cadmium; D009532:Nickel; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Elemental pollutants; Gamma ray radiation; Human health environmental risk assessment; Industrial pollution; Natural radioactivity elements; Soil pollution