TY - UNPB
T1 - The Risk Index Used to Assess the Risk of Heavy Metals, Mainly in Water Sediments, on Human Health in Latin America: A Rapid Review of Literature
AU - Saade-Cleves, Natalia
AU - Talero-Munoza, María Del Mar
AU - García-Vargas, Daniel
AU - Tamayo-Torres, Claudia Sofía
AU - Sierra-Pena, Julian Alfonso
AU - Torres-Ortiz, Maria Paula
AU - Palencia-Sánchez, Francisco
PY - 2023/1/10
Y1 - 2023/1/10
N2 - Human-related activities in several fields have an impact on natural environments. Therefore, regulatory policies intended to mitigate the detrimental effects that industrial processes and other sources of contamination have on ecosystems are important. Similarly, standardized ways of measuring negative impacts have gained relevance. The most common risk indexes used are the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) assessment tools, which include cancer-related and non-carcinogenic effects of sediments. Therefore, our rapid review's main objective was to synthesize the influence of risk indexes used to assess sediments on public health in Latin America. We found 531 articles of which 33 were included for the analysis and posterior qualitative description. Seven countries from Latin America were found to make studies using the risk indexes for geological sediment assessment risks. The most common risk indexes used were HI and HQ for non-carcinogenic effects and CR for carcinogenic effects assessment. Most of the geological sediments studied were metals and metalloids Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As), Zinc (Zn), and Copper (Cu) the most studied, followed by Nickel (Ni), Chromium (Cr) and magnesium (Mg). Sixteen articles found potential cancer risk for the populations studied, 17 found adverse effects other than carcinogenic ones and fifteen studies had below limit levels set by the US-EPA. A difference between the effects on different populations was found, as some studies highlighted higher risks with the same consumption for children and women in fertile age. Most findings show considerable risks from arsenic, which is present in food (such as seafood and milk), and water; and non-carcinogenic risks such as developmental problems in children and other chronic diseases for adults. Therefore, it is important that exposure to sediments is supervised and controlled through public health interventions such as sanitary control in food and water so that their effects on human health can be reduced or even eliminated. In the current paper, risk indexes are a useful tool to assess hazards for human health from geological sediments that could justify and propel population regulations by local authorities.
AB - Human-related activities in several fields have an impact on natural environments. Therefore, regulatory policies intended to mitigate the detrimental effects that industrial processes and other sources of contamination have on ecosystems are important. Similarly, standardized ways of measuring negative impacts have gained relevance. The most common risk indexes used are the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) assessment tools, which include cancer-related and non-carcinogenic effects of sediments. Therefore, our rapid review's main objective was to synthesize the influence of risk indexes used to assess sediments on public health in Latin America. We found 531 articles of which 33 were included for the analysis and posterior qualitative description. Seven countries from Latin America were found to make studies using the risk indexes for geological sediment assessment risks. The most common risk indexes used were HI and HQ for non-carcinogenic effects and CR for carcinogenic effects assessment. Most of the geological sediments studied were metals and metalloids Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As), Zinc (Zn), and Copper (Cu) the most studied, followed by Nickel (Ni), Chromium (Cr) and magnesium (Mg). Sixteen articles found potential cancer risk for the populations studied, 17 found adverse effects other than carcinogenic ones and fifteen studies had below limit levels set by the US-EPA. A difference between the effects on different populations was found, as some studies highlighted higher risks with the same consumption for children and women in fertile age. Most findings show considerable risks from arsenic, which is present in food (such as seafood and milk), and water; and non-carcinogenic risks such as developmental problems in children and other chronic diseases for adults. Therefore, it is important that exposure to sediments is supervised and controlled through public health interventions such as sanitary control in food and water so that their effects on human health can be reduced or even eliminated. In the current paper, risk indexes are a useful tool to assess hazards for human health from geological sediments that could justify and propel population regulations by local authorities.
KW - Heavy metals
KW - Sediments
KW - Public health
KW - Risk index
KW - Hazard quotient
KW - Cancer risk.
U2 - 10.2139/ssrn.4313001
DO - 10.2139/ssrn.4313001
M3 - Preprint
BT - The Risk Index Used to Assess the Risk of Heavy Metals, Mainly in Water Sediments, on Human Health in Latin America: A Rapid Review of Literature
ER -
