Assessment of Health Risks of Arsenic Exposure via Consumption of Crops

Thirty-three soil and twenty-six crop samples were collected and analyzed from geogenic arsenic (As)-contaminated lands at rural areas of Bijar Township, Kurdistan Province, Iran. The data were used to determine several parameters to evaluate human health risk, including bioaccumulation factor from soil to plant, chronic daily intake dose, incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILTCR), and hazard quotient. The results showed that average As concentration in soil samples is far beyond the limiting values recommended by the European Community (20 mg kg(-1)), and also positive correlation found between total As content and bioavailable fraction of As in soil samples. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) revealed crystallized As phases such as Arsenolite (As2O3), Claudetite (As2O3), and Kankite (FeAsO4 center dot 3.5H(2)O) in calcareous soil samples. Pollution rates were evaluated using single-factor pollution index and Nemerow multifactor index. The highest As contents were found in root and tuber crop plants (121.6 mg/kg) and leafy vegetables (52 mg/kg). The ILTCR values for As indicated a maximal potential cancer risk through ingestion of vegetables. In addition, root and tuber crops exhibited higher than 1 hazard quotient values for adults (up to 73) and children (up to 120) signifying the fact that exposed adults and children are potentially at risk of health effects including cancer with the children being more susceptible.