Human health risks associated with urban soils in mining areas Parviainen, Annika Jenni Johana Arrebola Moreno, Juan Pedro Martín Peinado, Francisco Urban soil Pollution Arsenic Lead Risk assessment models Relative cancer mortality We thank Ms. I. Martinez Segura and Mr. M.J. Roman Alpiste for their assistance in laboratory work. Additionally, Dr. A. Parviainen acknowledges the `Juan de la Cierva-Incorporaci ' on' fellowship (grant number IJCI-2016-27412); and Dr. J.P. Arrebola acknowledges the Ram ' on y Cajal program (grant number RYC-2016-20155) from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Research performed at the UGR was supported by the Project RTI 2018-094327-B-I00, funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. The European Regional Development Fund (ERFD) and the European Social Fund (ESF) of the European Commission (co)funded the fellowships, research and infrastructure endeavors involved in this research performed at the Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (UGR-CSIC). We studied the chemical composition of As and Pb in total (<2 mm) and fine fractions (<50 μm) of 52 urban soil samples from Minas de Riotinto (mining area) and Aracena (non-exposed area) in SW Spain. In addition to a soil phytotoxicity bioassay using Lactuca Sativa L., we modelled and performed carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic human health risk assessment, later comparing our data with relative cancer mortality rates reported at the municipal level. This study demonstrates that mineralized bedrock and natural soil-forming processes affect the geochemistry of natural (in-situ) urban soils, which in many cases surpass the regulatory levels for As (36 mg/kg) and Pb (275 mg/kg). Fine fractions of in-situ and mixed urban soils —susceptible of inhalation— are significantly enriched in As and Pb with respect to fine fractions of aggregate materials (ex-situ soils of chalky sands and gravel) in Minas de Riotinto. The soils in Minas de Riotinto are significantly enriched in As (total and fine fractions) and Pb (total fraction) with respect to Aracena. Despite elevated bulk concentrations of As and Pb, only one in-situ sample exhibits phytotoxic effects of the soil-water extracts on Lactuca Sativa L. seeds. Health risk assessment of these towns as exposure areas indicates that the soils of Minas de Riotinto are indeed a health risk to the residents, whereas there is no potential risk in Aracena. The reported relative mortality rates in Minas de Riotinto show a greater mortality of carcinogenic tumors potentially related to As and Pb exposure, including lung cancer. Both soil type and use must be considered when administrators or policy-makers evaluate health risks involved in urbanistic decision-making. To minimize exposure risk and adverse health outcomes, we recommend that insitu soils surpassing regulatory levels for As and Pb in public playgrounds and passing areas should be covered with aggregate materials. 2022-03-29T07:43:08Z 2022-03-29T07:43:08Z 2021-12-16 info:eu-repo/semantics/article Annika Parviainen... [et al.]. Human health risks associated with urban soils in mining areas, Environmental Research, Volume 206, 2022, 112514, ISSN 0013-9351, [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.112514] http://hdl.handle.net/10481/73865 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112514 eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Atribución 3.0 España Elsevier