Potential Health Risk Associated with Heavy Metals in Tap Water in Taoyuan County

• Main Authors: Kuan-Chih Huang, 黃冠智
• Other Authors: Yu-Chun Wang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/87581796653974909780

碩士 === 中原大學 === 土木工程研究所 === 100 === This study aims to assess lifetime health risk associated with concentrations of heavy metals (arsenic, lead, total chromium and cadmium) in tap water using multimedia exposure models - the CalTOX proposed by California Environmental Protection Agency, and European Union System for the Evaluation of Substances (EUSES) proposed by European Commission for population residing in Taoyuan county. Lifetime cancer risk and hazard quotients were conducted for various age (0-5 years, 6-18 years, 19-64 years and more than 65 years old) and sex stratifications. Exposure scenarios of heavy metals were also evaluated for their measurements at 5, 50 and 95 percentiles. The CalTOX estimated lifetime cancer risk were 5.72×10-6-4.28×10-5 for arsenic, 3.53×10-8-2.65×10-7 for lead, 5.20×10-7-3.89×10-6 for total chromium, and 5.20×10-6-3.89×10-5 for cadmium in ingestion pathway. The EUSES estimated lifetime cancer risk were 1.50×10-5-1.18×10-4 for arsenic, 9.27×10-8-7.26×10-7 for lead, 1.37×10-6-1.07×10-5 for total chromium, and 1.39×10-5-1.09×10- 4 for cadmium in ingestion pathway. The CalTOX estimated hazard quotients were 0.01-0.10 for arsenic, 0.0003-0.0026 for total chromium, and 0.01-0.04 for cadmium in drinking water pathway. The EUSES estimated hazard quotients were 0.033-0.262 for arsenic, 0.001-0.007 for total chromium, and 0.001-0.005 for cadmium in ingestion pathway. This study suggested that establishments for local environmental and population exposure parameters would enhance the accurateness and precisions of health risk associated with environmental toxicants in Taiwan.