Integrating bioaccessibility into human health risk assessment: Stabilization approach of smelter-contaminated soil with natural organic amendments.
AI interpretation is pending for this paper.
Open original publication →What the AI sees
Not AI summarized yet.
Research significance
Pending deeper interpretation.
Source abstract
This study evaluates the stabilization of arsenic (As), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) in moderately contaminated soil near a Cu smelter of South Korea using natural organic amendments (NOAs) at different ratios of fulvic and humic acids. The research revealed varying behaviors of anionic metalloid (As) and cationic metals (Cu and Pb) under different ratios of fulvic and humic acids over the incubation period. Sequential extraction results showed opposite trend of pH effect on anionic metalloid and cationic metals, which showed the increase of As extractability with pH increase and vice versa for cationic metals. By incorporating bioaccessibility-derived from chemically extractable fractions-into human health risk assessment, this study provides a more realistic estimation of non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks compared to conventional assessments based solely on total metal concentrations. The NOA treatments significantly reduced hazard index and total cancer risk values for both adults and children. The findings emphasize the need for stabilization strategies tailored to both metal speciation and bioaccessibility, while monitoring the stability to prevent metal remobilization due to environmental changes. This research offers insights into sustainable remediation approaches for moderately contaminated soils, particularly in regions with fluctuating pH conditions, potentially improving both environmental safety and public health outcomes.