Trace element contents in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in urban school microenvironments near a contaminated beach with mine tailings, Chañaral, Chile

• Published in: Environmental geochemistry and health Vol. 40; no. 3; pp. 1077 - 1091
• Main Authors: Mesías Monsalve, Stephanie, Martínez, Leonardo, Yohannessen Vásquez, Karla, Alvarado Orellana, Sergio, Klarián Vergara, José, Martín Mateo, Miguel, Costilla Salazar, Rogelio, Fuentes Alburquenque, Mauricio, Cáceres Lillo, Dante D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-06-2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air quality; Atmospheric particulates; Beaches; Carcinogens; Chemical composition; Children; Chromium; Classrooms; Copper; Dust storms; Earth; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth crust; Enrichment; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental degradation; Environmental Health; Environmental management; Fluorescence; Geochemistry; Heavy metals; Impact damage; Indoor environments; Manganese; Marine pollution; Metals; Microenvironments; Mine tailings; Mine wastes; Nickel; Original Paper; Outdoor air quality; Particulate emissions; Particulate matter; Particulate size; Principal components analysis; Public Health; Schools; Soil Science & Conservation; Suspended particulate matter; Tailings; Terrestrial Pollution; Titanium; Trace elements; Trace metals; X ray fluorescence analysis; X-ray fluorescence; Zinc; Mine tailings; Trace elements; Schools; Particulate matter; Heavy metals
• ISSN: 0269-4042; 1573-2983
• DOI: 10.1007/s10653-017-9980-z

Air quality in schools is an important public health issue because children spend a considerable part of their daily life in classrooms. Particulate size and chemical composition has been associated with negative health effects. We studied levels of trace element concentrations in fine particulate matter (PM
2.5
) in indoor versus outdoor school settings from six schools in Chañaral, a coastal city with a beach severely polluted with mine tailings. Concentrations of trace elements were measured on two consecutive days during the summer and winter of 2012 and 2013 and determined using X-ray fluorescence. Source apportionment and element enrichment were measured using principal components analysis and enrichment factors. Trace elements were higher in indoor school spaces, especially in classrooms compared with outdoor environments. The most abundant elements were Na, Cl, S, Ca, Fe, K, Mn, Ti, and Si, associated with earth’s crust. Conversely, an extremely high enrichment factor was determined for Cu, Zn, Ni and Cr; heavy metals associated with systemic and carcinogenic risk effects, whose probably origin sources are industrial and mining activities. These results suggest that the main source of trace elements in PM
2.5
from these school microenvironments is a mixture of dust contaminated with mine tailings and marine aerosols. Policymakers should prioritize environmental management changes to minimize further environmental damage and its direct impact on the health of children exposed.