Countrywide Spatial Variation of Potentially Toxic Element Contamination in Soils of Turkey and Assessment of Population Health Risks for Nondietary Ingestion

Countrywide surface soil concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in Turkey were reviewed in the Web of Science database. A total of 93 papers were investigated to compose a PTE dataset for determining spatial variations and estimating exposure and health risks. Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were selected as PTEs in surface soil. A compiled PTE concentration dataset was used to estimate chronic toxic risks (CTRs) and carcinogenic risks (CRs) according to the deterministic and probabilistic approaches. While the CTR and CR levels of age and sex groups were estimated using a deterministic approach, population risks were estimated using a probabilistic approach. CTR and CR levels in lower age groups and female sex groups were estimated to be higher than those in higher age groups and associated male sex groups. The average CTR levels of the nondietary ingestion of As-containing soil in <11 year age groups were near/just above the threshold level, while As-associated average CR levels of adults and other age groups were estimated to be in the acceptable risk range (10-6 < CR < 10-5) and low priority risk range (10-5 < CR < 10-4), respectively. As-, Cr(VI)-, and Pbassociated upper-bound CR levels of the Turkish population were simulated to be 5.14 x 10-4, 6.23 x 10-5, and 2.34 x 10-6, respectively. Health risk models show the significance of As in both chronic toxic and carcinogenic effects.

Automated summary

By reviewing the soil concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in Turkey, it was found that certain PTEs pose chronic toxic and carcinogenic risks to human health, especially in younger age groups and females.