Risk Elements in Total Suspended Particles in Areas Affected by Opencast Mining of Brown Coal
Source abstract
Abstract
Background: The total suspended particles (TSPs) and selected risk element contents were determined in two medium-sized cities, Litvínov and Sokolov (both in North Bohemia, Czech Republic), where the environment is adversely affected by opencast brown coal mining, coal-related industries, and the petrochemical industry. Methods: TSP samples were collected monthly for three years. Results and Discussion: The results showed significant (p < 0.05) differences in the TSP deposition in different seasons of the year, with the highest values in spring, followed by summer, and the lowest in autumn and winter. This is most likely due to increased coal mining activity in the spring and summer. The amount of the elements associated with the TSP showed mostly a similar pattern. The potential risk of these elements for human health was assessed as the average daily dose (ADD) for ingestion of the individual elements and subsequently calculated hazard quotients (HQ). Elevated oral ADD levels were recorded, especially for children. Among the risk elements, arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) were identified as the most hazardous. Conclusions: The results indicated that the TSP-related risk elements do not represent a serious health risk, but many questions concerning the sources of elements in the area and their bioaccessibility remain open for further research.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Coal and Its By-products · Waste Management and Environmental Impact
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic
Health Institute in Ústí nad Labem, 40001 Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
Funding
GAČR
References (72)
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