Journal: Environmental Contaminants Reviews (ECR)
Author: Ojeaga K and Ehinlaiye A. O.

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Doi:10.26480/ecr.01.2026.07.13

ABSTRACT

This study assessed evaluated the human health risks associated with heavy metals contamination in soils around quarrying sites in Ikpeshi district, Edo State, Nigeria. Twenty-nine (29) samples were using Atomic Absorption Spectrophometer (AAS) to determine the concentration of Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Mn, NI, Co and Cr. Human exposure risks for adults and children were assessed via ingestion, dermal, and inhalation pathways using Chronic Daily Intake (CDI), Hazard Quotient (HQ), Hazard Index (HI) and Total Cancer Risk (TCR). Results showed children were more vulnerable to non-carcinogenic risks, with the highest HI values associated with Cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), and copper (Cu). Overall, the non-carcinogenic risk were in the following order: Co>Cd>Cu>Pb>Ni>Fe>Mn>Zn>Cr. For carcinogenic risks, Nickel (Ni) posed the greatest concern, with TCR values of 2.13 x 10-4 for children and 3.06 x 10-5 for adults, exceeding or approaching the acceptable risk threshold. Chromium (Cr) presented the acceptable cancer threats, while Lead (Pb) showed minimum carcinogenic impact. The findings highlight that ingestion is the predominant exposure pathway for children, whereas dermal contact and inhalation pathways contribute more significantly to adult exposure. Although the estimated HQ values for most metals were below the acceptable threshold (HQ<1), the relatively high contributions of Cd and Co highlight potential health concerns under prolonged exposure conditions, thereby necessitating continuous environmental monitoring and appropriate mitigation measures.

Environment, Hazard quotient, Human health, Quarrying and Cancer risk