Evaluation of PAHs concentration and cancer risk assessment on human health in a roadside soil: A case study

Abstract

An explanatory study was carried out to divulge the sources, contamination level of different classes of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) distribution and the impact of vehicular traffic on the roadside soil by assessing incremental lifetime cancer risk at each site to understand the potential health risk of nearby residents along the National Highway-2 Delhi–Kolkata India. Comparison of the cancer risk assessment was performed using Monte Carlo simulation for the entire study area. The results revealed 90% cancer risk value of 6.40 × 10⁻⁵ and 6.5 × 10⁻⁵ for children and adults, respectively, whereas, without simulation the Total Cancer Risk (TCR) for adults was 6.925 × 10⁻⁵ and 6.220 × 10⁻⁵ for children, observed maximum at the location (S5). The dilemma of risk assessment indicating profoundly contaminated soil. Comparison of PAHs concentration with the background values of PAHs ranged from 1.478 to 27.493 mg kg⁻¹. The (IP/BgP) ratio specified that the PAHs content of the highway roadside sample is preponderate by diesel vehicle emission, biomass combustion and coal combustion. The study clearly revealed and advocated the influence of organic and inorganic pollution, which aggravates and causes health issues to the nearby inhabitants. This study could also be advantageous to similar consequences seen elsewhere in the world.

Keywords:

• Roadside soil
• PAHs concentration and distribution
• soil toxicity
• Cancer risk assessment

Acknowledgements

The author heartily acknowledges Professor Dr S. K. Gupta, Head, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad for his kind support and encouragement to carry out the study. The author is thankful to Mr Abharajyoti Tarafder for his help and cooperation regarding HPLC operation and data preparation.