A comprehensive assessment of heavy metal contamination in road dusts along a hectic national highway of Bangladesh: spatial distribution, sources of contamination, ecological and human health risks

Human activities around or within national highways, combined with atmospheric mixing, produce road dust, which can cause health problems through a variety of exposure routes. Thus, the study was aimed to investigate contamination, spatial distribution, potential ecological and human risks various toxic heavy metals such as lead (Pb), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni) arsenic (As) in dusts samples collected from traffic load land-use types along hectic Kushtia-Jhenaidah highway, Bangladesh. The mean concentrations Pb, Cu, Cr, Cd, Zn, Ni As were found 50.8 ± 15.7, 82.6 17.2, 20.1 5.7, 0.18 0.06, 126.2 40.7, 14.1 4.7 0.12 0.04 mg/kg, respectively, whereas Cd Zn evidently several times higher than respective background values. values variance coefficient (VC) exhibited that magnitudes metal pollutions across sites dominated by anthropogenic activities, while principal component analysis (PCA) cluster (CA) identified vehicular industrial emissions major sources dusts. geo-accumulation index (Igeo) indicated most dust unpolluted moderately polluted metals. contamination factor (CF) following order: Cu > Pb Cr As, degree (CD) moderate considerable level contamination. Furthermore, site posed low risks, despite fact non-carcinogenic carcinogenic threats pathways appear insignificant, children being more vulnerable adults.