Contamination and health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in agricultural soil of the Al-Ahsa Oasis, Saudi Arabia using health indices and GIS

A study on the Al-Ahsa Oasis, Saudi Arabia, reveals that while potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as iron, manganese, and zinc are present in agricultural soils, they pose no significant non-carcinogenic or carcinogenic health risks to residents. Using health indices like hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), cancer risk (CR), and total lifetime cancer risk (LCR), researchers found that children's exposure via ingestion is approximately nine times higher than adults', but the overall risk remains low. Spatial distribution analysis using GIS and multivariate techniques suggests natural sources for these elements, with no significant health hazards detected within acceptable carcinogenic risk thresholds.

Alharbi, T., El-Sorogy, A. S., & Al-Kahtany, K. (2024). Contamination and health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in agricultural soil of the Al-Ahsa Oasis, Saudi Arabia using health indices and GIS. Arabian Journal of Chemistry, 17(3), 105592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arabjc.2023.105592