Contamination Level and Probabilistic Health Risk of Exposure to Toxic Elements (TEs) In Trapped Air Conditioner Filter Dusts (ACFDs) from Primary Healthcare Environments

Abstract

Background: Chemical exposure from the environment is on the rise globally, and its monitoring and risk assessment is crucial
Objective: The study aimed to assess the contamination level and health risk of exposure to toxic elements (TEs) in trapped air conditioner filter dust (ACFD) from Primary healthcare (PHC) environment in Ado-Odo/Ota LGA, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Methods: Nine (9) dust samples were collected from various sections of the study area and then transported to the laboratory for analysis. One (1) g of the sample was digested using aqua regia and the TE level was estimated with an Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The contamination level was evaluated using the geo-accumulation index (I-geo) and enrichment factor (EF).
Results: The results show that Cr and Zn in some collected samples were higher than the Canadian guidelines value. The majority of the TEs were high in sample PHC04 while Cd is the major contaminant in the dust emanating from an anthropogenic source. Ingestion remains the primary route of TE exposure to humans in the PHC with the children being the most vulnerable. The health risk assessment revealed that the population are free from a significant non -carcinogenic risk but there exists a concern for Pb and Cr in the children population. More so, there is no risk of developing cancer from the TEs on prolonged exposure but the total cancer risk value for Cr in the dust is of concern.
Conclusion: The ACFD is primarily polluted with some of the studied TEs, therefore, regular cleaning of the AC filter dust and wet cleaning of the rooms should be encouraged.