Cancer Risks Associated with Chronic Exposure to Urban Dust May Increase in a Mining Town

Mining generates adverse environmental effects, such as the dispersion of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) contained in mine tailing particles. This research estimated cancer risk and hazard quotient associated with PTEs contamination from urban dust in a mining town. The morphology and chemical composition of urban dust particles were analyzed. Pseudo-total, pulmonary, and gastric bioaccessible PTE concentrations were determined by wet digestion and extraction with Gamble (pH = 7) and 0.4 M glycine solutions (pH = 1.5). Cancer risk and hazard ratios in children and adults were calculated using risk equations. The irregular morphology of the dust, the particle size distribution (1–4 µm), and the As, Cd, and Pb concentrations indicate that the particles originate from mine tailings. Pseudo-total As (6 171 mg kg⁻¹), Pb (2 394 mg kg⁻¹), Cd (29 mg kg⁻¹), and Zn (3 486 mg kg⁻¹) were high. High bioaccessible gastric concentrations were observed for As (225 mg kg⁻¹), Pb (257 mg kg⁻¹), and Zn (269 mg kg⁻¹). Just As and Pb pose a non-cancer disease risk in children and adults. Gastric bioaccessible As and Cd were higher in distant areas from tailing heaps. The cancer risk of As exceeded the maximum permissible value in children and adults. Control the dispersion of urban dust to avoid inhalation or ingestion is essential to get this goal five recommendations were included.