Risk Assessments of Heavy Metals to Children Following Non-dietary Exposures and Sugarcane Consumption in a Rural Area in Southern China

Based on the context of a rural area contaminated by mining waste in Guangxi, China, the health risks of seven heavy metals (HM) to local children were evaluated. Risk assessments of soil HMs to individuals exposed through non-dietary routes and consuming locally grown sugarcane (juice) were conducted. Results indicated that the ranking for risks of HM exposures was juice drinking > non-dietary oral intake > dermal contact > inhalation. For non-carcinogenic risks, Cr and Cd in sugarcane juice posed the most significant risks, whereas As and Pb posed the highest risks through non-dietary exposure routes. A newly established assessment model using a regression equation of hazard index of HMs to ratios of soil HM concentrations/total reference doses, showed that the non-dietary HM risk was closely correlated to the environmental HM levels and human sensitivities, which can be measured by HM total daily reference doses.