Author(s)

Jian Wang¹, Zhenxia Chen¹, Yaheng Pang¹, Yanan Zhao¹, Yufeng Mao¹, Na Mao², Mei Xu^1*

¹College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Cangzhou Normal University, Cangzhou, China.
²Cangzhou Municipal Research Institute of Environmental Protection, Cangzhou, China.

The heavy metals in atmospheric fine particles are of great concern to human health. To understand the pollution characteristics and health risks of heavy metals in particulate matter with an aerodynamic equivalent diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM_2.5) during winter in the suburb of Cangzhou, PM_2.5 samples were collected with an intelligent medium-flow atmospheric particulate matter sampler from January to February 2019. The Fe, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn contents in PM_2.5 were determined via inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The sources and health risks of heavy metals in PM_2.5 were analysed via the enrichment factor (EF) method and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) health risk assessment model. The results showed that the average PM_2.5 concentration in the suburb of Cangzhou reached 71.6 μg/m³, ranging from 23.7 to 169.5 μg/m³. The exceeding standard rate was 29.4% during the sampling period. The PM_2.5 concentration during the nighttime was higher than that during the daytime. The heavy metal concentrations in PM_2.5 decreased in the order of Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Pb, and the Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn concentrations decreased in the order of clean days < pollution days < heavy pollution days. The Fe and Mn concentrations were higher during the daytime than those during the nighttime, while the Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations were higher during the nighttime than those during the daytime. EF analysis revealed that Zn, Pb and Cu were significantly enriched, and Pb was highly enriched on heavy pollution days with increasing pollution degree. The enrichment level of heavy metals during the nighttime was higher than that during the daytime. Health risk assessment demonstrated that Mn posed non-carcinogenic risks to both adults and children, following the sequence of clean days < pollution days < heavy pollution days. Pb posed a carcinogenic risk to adults on heavy pollution days. The study revealed that the pollution levels of heavy metals in PM_2.5 in the suburb of Cangzhou were low, and Pb and Mn in PM_2.5 posed certain health risks to the population.

Fine Particles, Enrichment Factor, Atmospheric Pollution, Different Pollution Levels

Wang, J. , Chen, Z. , Pang, Y. , Zhao, Y. , Mao, Y. , Mao, N. and Xu, M. (2022) Pollution Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in PM_2.5 during Winter in the Suburb of Cangzhou, China. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 10, 122-136. doi: 10.4236/gep.2022.108009.