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University of Sarajevo-Faculty of Pharmacy , Sarajevo , Bosnia and Herzegovina
University of Zenica, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences , Zenica , Bosnia and Herzegovina
University of Zenica, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences , Zenica , Bosnia and Herzegovina
University of Tuzla, Faculty of Technology , Tuzla , Bosnia and Herzegovina
Estmating the risk to pulic health from heavy metals can help solve the basic questions about the potential dangers of exposure to them. This is the first study aimed to assess the health risk for the residents of the municipality of Zenica, on the land closest to the steel industry by examining the heavy metals Zn, Ni, Pb, Cd, Cr and Cu in the soil and plant cultivars corn and chard that could be used for the potential remediation of such soil. With the calculated data for HQ and HI, the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk for adults and children were estimated, based on heavy metals in the selected topsoil and plants, which are usually grown in the area of interest, through different ways of their intake. The results showed that there is an unacceptable risk for children and adults due to long-term consumption of investigated plant cultivars from soil contaminated with heavy metals. Constant monitoring and measures to reducing the heavy metal pollution, primarily Cd, Pb and Cr, are necessary in the lands of the municipality of Zenica. Special caution is required for residents who intend to grow plant cultivars near steel industry
This work has been granted by the Federal Bosnia and Herzegovina Environmental Protection Fund and was carried out within the framework of the project „Study of the effect of chelate addition to the phytoremediation potential of plants at soils contaminated with heavy metals” (Grant no. 01-09-2-3535/2024, dated 16.07.2024).
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