Neutron activation and ICP-MS analyses of metals in dust samples—Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: concentrations, pollution, and exposure

The present work was conducted to highlight the elemental composition, quantify the extent of pollution, and assess the linked risk due to the exposure to metals in dust samples. The collected samples from Al-Qassim Region were subjected to two complementary analytical techniques: instrumental neutron activation analysis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. A total of 42 elements were determined, and the concentrations (mg/kg) were compared with the corresponding values from the literature. Considerable concentrations of Br (7.1), Zr (640), Hf (16.5), As (8.9), and Sb (0.7) were observed. Enrichment factor (EF) was calculated to be more than 7 for the same elements, and this a good indicator of a mixed source of pollution with these elements. The integrative pollution index (PI) sorted Bureydah South as the strongest contributor of contamination. The exposure assessment showed no hazard risk was observed due to the inhalation of selected elements that distinguished their high toxicity.