Health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in soils along the Central Elbe River, Germany

, respectively. Median topsoil PLI was 1.73, indicating elevated multi-element contamination, with 90th percentile and maximum values being 3.20 and 4.31, respectively. All PTE concentrations were higher in top- compared to subsoils. Also at the 50th percentile the most enriched elements were Sn and As, followed by Zr and Rb, while in the 90th percentile Sn and As were followed by Zn, Pb and Cu. Median children's hazard index (HI) was higher than unity (HI = 2.27) and the 90th percentile was 5.53, indicating elevated health risk. Adult median HIs were 0.18 for male and 0.21 for female persons. Arsenic was found to be the primary contributor to total risk, accounting of 57.4% of HI in all three-person…

• AV
  Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung

  Award: 3.4 - EGY - 1185373 - GF-E
• BU
  Bergische Universität Wuppertal
• DA
  Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
• HE
  H2020 European Research Council