Assessment of particulate matter, metals of toxicological concentration, and health risk around a mining area, Odisha, India

Abstract

In this study, trace element concentrations in PM10 and suspended particulate matter (SPM) have been investigated for their distribution, enrichment factor, and health impacts in Ganjam, Odisha. We investigated the presence of metals in air particulates to appraise the levels of the metals in the workplace of mine. The spatial variation of metals of toxicological around mining and residential areas were also studied. PM10 levels in mining and residential area were found to be in the range of 30–59 and 12–54 μg m−3, respectively, with an average value of 45 ± 12 and 32 ± 12 μg m−3, respectively, throughout the year and well within the prescribed NAAQS. SPM and PM10 concentrations were observed minimum in the rainy season because of precipitation and maximum in the winter season. The annual average concentration of Pb is higher in the SPM as compared to PM10 in the residential area and within 10% of the national ambient air quality standard of 500 ng m−3. Human health risk in the mining areas is 1.1 times higher than the risk for the nearby residential areas. Carcinogenic risk assessment illustrated that there is no potential danger to the populace in the investigation studied. © 2019, Springer Nature B.V.