Evaluating the Potential Health Risks of Selected Heavy Metals across Four Wastewater Treatment Water Works in Durban, South Africa
Poor and inadequate sanitation systems have been considered not only a human health issue, but also an environmental threat that instigates climate change. Nine heavy metals—arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn)—were...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | Toxics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/6/340 |
| _version_ | 1797481800097857536 |
|---|---|
| author | Babatunde Femi Bakare Gbadebo Clement Adeyinka |
| author_facet | Babatunde Femi Bakare Gbadebo Clement Adeyinka |
| author_sort | Babatunde Femi Bakare |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Poor and inadequate sanitation systems have been considered not only a human health issue, but also an environmental threat that instigates climate change. Nine heavy metals—arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn)—were evaluated in influent and effluent water samples from four wastewater treatment plants in the Durban metropolis, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The results indicate that the mean concentrations of all the heavy metals in the influent samples ranged from 0.122 to 1.808 mg/L, while the effluent samples had a concentration ranging from 0.118 to 0.854 mg/L. Iron was found to be in the highest concentration and the concentration of Co was the lowest across the wastewater treatment plants. The levels for most of the heavy metals in this study were found to be above the recommended maximum concentrations in surface and effluent waters as stipulated by the World Health Organization, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry of South Africa. According to the toxicity effect due to non-carcinogenic risks, As, Pb, Cr, and Cd are considered to be of medium risk in this study, indicating that a probable adverse health risk is very likely to occur. Additionally, the cancer risk (RI) values were lower than 10<sup>−3</sup>, which shows that cancer development is very likely in individuals who are exposed. Cancer development associated with dermal absorption is quite negligible; thereby, it does not raise any concerns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:19:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ed2bef39895a45248c7c31790ec23139 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2305-6304 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:19:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxics |
| spelling | doaj.art-ed2bef39895a45248c7c31790ec231392023-11-23T19:16:38ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042022-06-0110634010.3390/toxics10060340Evaluating the Potential Health Risks of Selected Heavy Metals across Four Wastewater Treatment Water Works in Durban, South AfricaBabatunde Femi Bakare0Gbadebo Clement Adeyinka1Environmental Pollution and Remediation Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Mangosuthu University of Technology, Durban 4031, South AfricaEnvironmental Pollution and Remediation Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Mangosuthu University of Technology, Durban 4031, South AfricaPoor and inadequate sanitation systems have been considered not only a human health issue, but also an environmental threat that instigates climate change. Nine heavy metals—arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn)—were evaluated in influent and effluent water samples from four wastewater treatment plants in the Durban metropolis, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The results indicate that the mean concentrations of all the heavy metals in the influent samples ranged from 0.122 to 1.808 mg/L, while the effluent samples had a concentration ranging from 0.118 to 0.854 mg/L. Iron was found to be in the highest concentration and the concentration of Co was the lowest across the wastewater treatment plants. The levels for most of the heavy metals in this study were found to be above the recommended maximum concentrations in surface and effluent waters as stipulated by the World Health Organization, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry of South Africa. According to the toxicity effect due to non-carcinogenic risks, As, Pb, Cr, and Cd are considered to be of medium risk in this study, indicating that a probable adverse health risk is very likely to occur. Additionally, the cancer risk (RI) values were lower than 10<sup>−3</sup>, which shows that cancer development is very likely in individuals who are exposed. Cancer development associated with dermal absorption is quite negligible; thereby, it does not raise any concerns.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/6/340heavy metal pollutioninfluent and effluent samplesnon-carcinogeniccancer risk |
| spellingShingle | Babatunde Femi Bakare Gbadebo Clement Adeyinka Evaluating the Potential Health Risks of Selected Heavy Metals across Four Wastewater Treatment Water Works in Durban, South Africa Toxics heavy metal pollution influent and effluent samples non-carcinogenic cancer risk |
| title | Evaluating the Potential Health Risks of Selected Heavy Metals across Four Wastewater Treatment Water Works in Durban, South Africa |
| title_full | Evaluating the Potential Health Risks of Selected Heavy Metals across Four Wastewater Treatment Water Works in Durban, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating the Potential Health Risks of Selected Heavy Metals across Four Wastewater Treatment Water Works in Durban, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating the Potential Health Risks of Selected Heavy Metals across Four Wastewater Treatment Water Works in Durban, South Africa |
| title_short | Evaluating the Potential Health Risks of Selected Heavy Metals across Four Wastewater Treatment Water Works in Durban, South Africa |
| title_sort | evaluating the potential health risks of selected heavy metals across four wastewater treatment water works in durban south africa |
| topic | heavy metal pollution influent and effluent samples non-carcinogenic cancer risk |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/6/340 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT babatundefemibakare evaluatingthepotentialhealthrisksofselectedheavymetalsacrossfourwastewatertreatmentwaterworksindurbansouthafrica AT gbadeboclementadeyinka evaluatingthepotentialhealthrisksofselectedheavymetalsacrossfourwastewatertreatmentwaterworksindurbansouthafrica |