Internal Cumulated Dose of Toxic Metal(loid)s in a Population Residing near Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material Waste Stacks and an Industrial Heavily Polluted Area with High Mortality Rates in Spain

Abstract

Huelva is a city in SW Spain with 150,000 inhabitants, located in the proximity of two heavy chemical industry complexes, the highest naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) waste (phosphogypsum) stacks of Europe and a highly polluted estuary, with elevated cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality rates. This study analyses the association between cumulated exposure levels to 16 metal(loid)s (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Tl, U, V, and Zn) measured in the toenail of a sample (n = 55 participants) of the general control population of Huelva City who were involved in the MCC-Spain study and the spatial proximity patterns to the local polluting sources. Residents of the city of Huelva have higher levels of Fe, Ni, Cr, Se, As, and Co in their toenails compared to the levels found in populations with similar characteristics living in non-polluted areas. Moreover, the highest concentrations of As, Pb, Cd, Mo, and Se were found in toenails of participants living near the NORM waste stack, while the highest Cu, Zn, and Al contents corresponded to people residing near the industrial area. The spatial distribution of most of the metal(loid)s studied appears to be mainly controlled by anthropogenic factors.