Bioavailability-based risk assessment of various heavy metals via multi-exposure routes for children and teenagers in Beijing, China

Abstract Rare study focuses on the health risks of children and teenagers from multiple exposure routes (MERs) of environmental media based on bioavailability of heavy metals (HMs). On the basis of considering the bioavailability of HMs, this study evaluated the multiple environmental routes and health risks to HMs in children and teenagers of eight age groups (2-<3, 3-<4, 4-<5, 5-<6, 6-<9, 9-<12, 12-<15, and 15-<18) in Beijing, China. The main findings are as follows: chromium [Cr (III)] intake by food consumption in all populations may exceed the recommended nutrient intake. And the MERs of lead in children aged 2–<3 years exceed the exposure dose (0.3 µg·kg − 1 ·d − 1 ) of 0.5 points reduction in intelligence quotient. Moreover, children aged 2–<3 and 6–<9 years have the highest non-carcinogenic risk (NCR) and carcinogenic risk (CR), respectively. The contributions of oral ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation to the NCR were 69.5%, 18.9% and 11.6%, respectively. And the combined NCR contributions of copper, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic (As) were about 69.4%. The contributions of the above three routes to the CR were 93.4%, 4.1% and 2.5%, in that order, with the largest CR contribution of As being about 92.0%. This study can provide new ideas for accurately assessing the exposure and health risks of HMs in the population, and we believe that it is necessary to update the national standards for food and soil based on the bioavailability of HMs.