Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Dust in Vilnius Schools: Source Identification, Pollution Levels, and Potential Health Risks for Children
The main objective of this study is to thoroughly evaluate the diversity and sources of heavy metals in the school environment. Specifically, this study examines the presence of heavy metals in the dust found and collected from 24 schools in Vilnius. Employing hierarchical cluster analysis, principa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Toxics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/3/224 |
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| author | Murat Huseyin Unsal Gytautas Ignatavičius Arunas Valiulis Nina Prokopciuk Roberta Valskienė Vaidotas Valskys |
| author_facet | Murat Huseyin Unsal Gytautas Ignatavičius Arunas Valiulis Nina Prokopciuk Roberta Valskienė Vaidotas Valskys |
| author_sort | Murat Huseyin Unsal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The main objective of this study is to thoroughly evaluate the diversity and sources of heavy metals in the school environment. Specifically, this study examines the presence of heavy metals in the dust found and collected from 24 schools in Vilnius. Employing hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and positive matrix factorization, we identified combustion-related activities as primary contributors to elevated metal concentrations, notably zinc, scandium, and copper, with PM2.5/PM10 ratios indicating a combustion source. They reveal significant differences in the levels of elements such as arsenic (4.55–69.96 mg/kg), copper (51.28–395.37 mg/kg), zinc, and lead, which are affected by both local environmental factors and human activities. Elevated pollution levels were found in certain school environments, indicating environmental degradation. Pollution assessment and specific element pairings’ strong positive correlations suggested shared origins or deposition processes. While this study primarily assesses non-carcinogenic risks to children based on a health risk assessment model, it acknowledges the well-documented carcinogenic potential of substances such as lead and arsenic. The research emphasizes the immediate necessity for efficient pollution management in educational environments, as indicated by the elevated hazard index for substances such as lead and arsenic, which present non-carcinogenic risks to children. This research offers important insights into the composition and origins of dust pollution in schools. It also promotes the need for broader geographic sampling and prolonged data collection to improve our understanding of pollution sources, alongside advocating for actionable strategies such as environmental management and policy reforms to effectively reduce exposure risks in educational settings. Furthermore, it aims to develop specific strategies to safeguard the health of students in Vilnius and similar urban areas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:46:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0ed199fc7ef34f879ca752be4310da98 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2305-6304 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:46:51Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxics |
| spelling | doaj.art-0ed199fc7ef34f879ca752be4310da982024-03-27T14:06:17ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042024-03-0112322410.3390/toxics12030224Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Dust in Vilnius Schools: Source Identification, Pollution Levels, and Potential Health Risks for ChildrenMurat Huseyin Unsal0Gytautas Ignatavičius1Arunas Valiulis2Nina Prokopciuk3Roberta Valskienė4Vaidotas Valskys5Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Ave. 7, 10257 Vilnius, LithuaniaInstitute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Ave. 7, 10257 Vilnius, LithuaniaClinic of Children’s Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Medical Faculty, Vilnius University, Antakalnio St. 57, 10207 Vilnius, LithuaniaClinic of Children’s Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Medical Faculty, Vilnius University, Antakalnio St. 57, 10207 Vilnius, LithuaniaNature Research Centre, Laboratory of Ecotoxicology, Akademijos St. 2, 08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaInstitute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Ave. 7, 10257 Vilnius, LithuaniaThe main objective of this study is to thoroughly evaluate the diversity and sources of heavy metals in the school environment. Specifically, this study examines the presence of heavy metals in the dust found and collected from 24 schools in Vilnius. Employing hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and positive matrix factorization, we identified combustion-related activities as primary contributors to elevated metal concentrations, notably zinc, scandium, and copper, with PM2.5/PM10 ratios indicating a combustion source. They reveal significant differences in the levels of elements such as arsenic (4.55–69.96 mg/kg), copper (51.28–395.37 mg/kg), zinc, and lead, which are affected by both local environmental factors and human activities. Elevated pollution levels were found in certain school environments, indicating environmental degradation. Pollution assessment and specific element pairings’ strong positive correlations suggested shared origins or deposition processes. While this study primarily assesses non-carcinogenic risks to children based on a health risk assessment model, it acknowledges the well-documented carcinogenic potential of substances such as lead and arsenic. The research emphasizes the immediate necessity for efficient pollution management in educational environments, as indicated by the elevated hazard index for substances such as lead and arsenic, which present non-carcinogenic risks to children. This research offers important insights into the composition and origins of dust pollution in schools. It also promotes the need for broader geographic sampling and prolonged data collection to improve our understanding of pollution sources, alongside advocating for actionable strategies such as environmental management and policy reforms to effectively reduce exposure risks in educational settings. Furthermore, it aims to develop specific strategies to safeguard the health of students in Vilnius and similar urban areas.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/3/224dust pollutiontrace elementsindoor dustdust exposureenvironmental health riskparticulate matter |
| spellingShingle | Murat Huseyin Unsal Gytautas Ignatavičius Arunas Valiulis Nina Prokopciuk Roberta Valskienė Vaidotas Valskys Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Dust in Vilnius Schools: Source Identification, Pollution Levels, and Potential Health Risks for Children Toxics dust pollution trace elements indoor dust dust exposure environmental health risk particulate matter |
| title | Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Dust in Vilnius Schools: Source Identification, Pollution Levels, and Potential Health Risks for Children |
| title_full | Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Dust in Vilnius Schools: Source Identification, Pollution Levels, and Potential Health Risks for Children |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Dust in Vilnius Schools: Source Identification, Pollution Levels, and Potential Health Risks for Children |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Dust in Vilnius Schools: Source Identification, Pollution Levels, and Potential Health Risks for Children |
| title_short | Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Dust in Vilnius Schools: Source Identification, Pollution Levels, and Potential Health Risks for Children |
| title_sort | assessment of heavy metal contamination in dust in vilnius schools source identification pollution levels and potential health risks for children |
| topic | dust pollution trace elements indoor dust dust exposure environmental health risk particulate matter |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/3/224 |
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