Human Risk Assessment of Trace Metals in Surface Water from Bandama, Bia and Comoé Rivers, Southeast Côte d’Ivoire

Water pollution is a global environmental problem. Trace metals present in polluted water can have harmful effects on human health. In Côte d'Ivoire, Little data is available to assess human health risk associated with exposure to trace metals from rivers. This paper presents an assessment of the human health risks associated with exposure to trace metals from Bandama, Comoé and Bia Rivers, three main rivers in Côte d'Ivoire.

The chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic risk of metals through oral and dermal routes were determined to assess the human health risk.

The hazard quotient (HQ) values for arsenic are >1 in the Bia River and close to 1 in the other rivers during the dry and flood seasons. The Hazard Index (HI) values are <1 at all stations during the dry and flood seasons, indicating is a likelihood of the local population contracting non-carcinogenic diseases from trace metals through ingestion of surface water. Arsenic represents a high cancer risk in the rivers during the dry and wet seasons (1.00E-04 > C < 1.00E-03).

Consequently, governmental environmental monitoring agencies should carry out continuous and increased monitoring of trace metals in the rivers to make appropriate decisions for the safety of human health.