Potential hazardous elements (PHEs) in atmospheric particulate matter (APM) in the south of Xi'an during the dust episodes of 2001-2012 (NW China): chemical fractionation, ecological and health risk assessment

Atmospheric pollution from atmospheric particulate matter (APM) deposition is one of the major sources of potential hazardous elements (PHEs) contamination. In this study, 68 total APM samples were collected from the local areas of southern Xi'an (NW China) during the long-term period of the 2001-2012 dust campaign. The chemical fractionation of PHEs (Cr, Cu, Ba, Sr, As, Pb, and Zn), their contamination levels, and ecological health risk were examined. The mobility sequence based on the sums of the first three fractionations of the modified BCR (the European Community Bureau of Reference) sequential extraction stages was: Cu (77.83 %) > Pb (74.50 %) > Zn (55.40) > Sr (52.93) > Ba (40.89) > Cr (30.09) > As (21.59). The contamination levels of APMs from these sites, calculated from the total content indices ICF, were uniformly moderate in degree. The obtained single-metal model MIMERSS (speciation index) values had allowed for classification of elements as a function of their potential ecological risk as As (64.00 mean value) > Pb (43.86) > Sr (37.50) > Cu (11.53) a parts per thousand... Ba (11.32) > Zn (7.68) > Cr (1.88). The results presented that the toxic As posed a moderate to considerable risk; Pb and Sr varied from low to a moderate risk, while others posed low risk. However, a new developed multi-metal model GRI(IERMS) (speciation index) indicated that the PHEs in most of the APMs posed moderate ecological risk. The result was consistent with that of ICF indexes. Combined with the US Environmental Protection Agency, we developed models of (ingestion, dermal and inhalation) hazard index (HI), children's health risk due to PHEs exposure from APM was higher than that for adults. Much attention should be paid to the PHE As (HI = 0.864, close to 1) for children. While, carcinogenic risk for adults was higher than that for children. Although cancer risk because of As, Cr and Pb exposure were within an acceptable range, the PHEs exposed to the highest density of the population in residential and educational villages in south of Xi'an would be much more concerned. The moderate ecological risk and the higher risk for children's health illustrated that special attention has to be taken to the mentioned PHEs from APMs in the local ecosystem, and their health risk impact should continue to be checked carefully. The new developed GRI(IERMS) index method was to be useful for risk assessment of PHEs combining with their chemical fractionations.