Articles
Año 10 No. 28 Enero - Abril 2024
INVISIBLE ENEMIES: HEAVY METALS IN STREET DUST AND THEIR RISKS TO HUMAN HEALTH
Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Agrícolas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Agrícolas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
) Estudiante de Doctorado en Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
Abstract
Heavy metals present in street dust are a source of environmental pollution in cities, their increase is a consequence of urbanization and is a cause of great concern because it generates serious problems for human health. According to the World Health Organization, 7 million people die worldwide each year from diseases related to this type of pollution, due to its release mainly by industrial processes and vehicular flow. These elements, when released into the environment, adhere to dust particles present on city streets. These particles have different sizes, this means that they can enter people mainly through two routes: 1) ingestion and 2) inhalation, generating a high risk to health, mainly due to the type of element and time of exposure, triggering different types of diseases such as cardiovascular issues, hypertension, lung damage, until developing severe problems such as cancer. Knowing the content of heavy metals in cities is of great relevance, since each city has different activities that emit these elements. For example, Mexico City has high concentrations of Chromium, while the city of Gómez Palacio in Durango contains high concentrations of manganese, while the city of Puebla has high concentrations of antimony. These aforementioned elements have different effects on human health, so their exposure increases the risk of contracting diseases related to these elements.
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