Monitoring copper, nickel, cobalt, lead, cadmium, manganese and chromium levels in house dust samples from Kayseri, Turkey

Abstract

As dusts are also potentially significant sources of trace heavy metals for humans, especially for children in urban communities, the heavy metal contents of 27 house dust samples from shops and schools in Kayseri, Turkey, were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) after digestion with aqua regia. The levels of copper, nickel, cobalt, lead, cadmium, manganese and chromium in the house dust samples from doormats were in the range of 22.8 - 812.5 µg/g, 26.5 - 123.3 µg/g, 7.9 - 61.1 µg/g, 24.7 - 134.8 µg/g, 0.9 - 5.3 µg/g, 77.5 - 630.4 µg/g and 10.3 - 96.8 µg/g. The values of the investigated ions in the samples were found to be lower than worldwide values, except for cobalt, copper and nickel.