article · Heliyon
An environmental assessment evaluated lead and cadmium concentrations in coastal sediments from the Al-Khafji area along the Saudi Arabian Gulf coast. The study investigated potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health hazards for adults and children exposed through ingestion, skin contact, and inhalation. Contamination indices and sediment quality guidelines indicated an absence of significant overall contamination, and isolated instances of moderate contamination showed no adverse biological effects. Children experienced higher chronic daily intake values than adults across all exposure routes. Hazard index values remained below one, confirming the sediments are acceptable and safe regarding these metals. While children exhibited higher lifetime cancer risk scores than adults, all measured cancer risk levels remained within safe boundaries. A routine environmental monitoring programme is suggested to identify future changes.
Coastal pollution can pose serious health threats to nearby populations, especially children who are more vulnerable to chemical exposure. This assessment establishes that coastal sediments in the evaluated region currently meet safety guidelines for lead and cadmium. Understanding these baseline levels helps coastal managers, public health professionals, and environmental regulators ensure recreational areas and marine ecosystems remain safe from toxic industrial runoff.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway or commercial product, as it presents baseline environmental and human health risk data. Environmental monitoring agencies, municipal authorities, or compliance service providers could use the testing framework and safety baselines to inform future coastal surveillance programmes, but this remains early-stage observational research rather than a marketable technology.
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This environmental assessment focuses on the coastal sediments of the Al-Khafji area in the Saudi Arabian Gulf, with an analysis of the human health risks posed by lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) contamination. Single and integrated indices were used to detect contamination and evaluate these metals' non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic impacts on adults and children through ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation pathways. Sediment quality guidelines and contamination indices indicated the absence of significant contamination levels. The moderate contamination observed in scattered samples did not imply adverse biological effects due to the presence of these two metals in Al-Khafji sediments. The average values of the chronic daily intake (CDI) for both Pb and Cd were higher in children than adults across all three pathways, with ratios of 9.4, 4.7, and 4.7 folds, respectively. The hazard index (HI) values for Pb and Cd were below 1, confirming that the sediments of Al-Khafji are considered acceptable and safe in terms of these potentially toxic elements (PTEs). The average lifetime cancer risk (LCR) values for Pb and Cd were higher in children compared to adults, with ratios of 9.3 and 9.4 folds, respectively. However, all detected LCR levels do not represent a potential carcinogenic health hazard. Nevertheless, a regular monitoring program aimed at detecting early signals of environmental health depletion is recommended.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36447
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