Informal recycling of electronic waste leads to soil contamination that can impact human health. To accurately assess exposure to potentially toxic elements (PTE) in soil it is necessary to consider their bioavailability through ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact. However, bioaccessibility tests that estimate dermal absorption following adhesion of contaminated soil particles to skin are not well established. In this study the concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were estimated in the <45 µm particle size fraction of a bulk composite soil from an e-waste recycling site using five different artificial sweat formulations. Extractions were performed at temperatures ranging from 17 to 47 °C to investigate the effect of ambient temperature on bioaccessibility. Results obtained using the different artificial sweats were not consistent with one another. In particular, the NIHS 96-10 formulation solubilized larger amounts of analytes (ranging from 6.3 times the next most effective extractant for Cu to 1700 times the next most effective for Pb). There was a general increase in release of PTE with increasing temperature, except for As. Although trends varied between analytes and formulations, this highlights the need to consider ambient temperature when estimating dermal bioaccessibility of PTE in soil.

Economic crises have led to an increase in entrepreneurial activities like street food vending. However, roasting food on the streets can increase food contamination. This study compares the concentrations of heavy metals such as Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn in home-roasted and street-roasted chicken, maize, meat, fish, and plantain in Nigeria. The food samples were digested with acid, and the concentrations of these elements in the digests were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. The results showed that the concentrations of the heavy metals in street-roasted food were higher than in home-roasted food. The mean concentration of these metals in street-roasted food decreased in the following order: Fe > Mn > Pb > Cr > Cu > Cd and in home-roasted food in the decreasing order: Fe > Mn > Pb > Cr > Cd > Cu. Moreover, the total heavy metal concentration in street-roasted food followed the decreasing order: Maize > Meat > Chicken > Plantain > Fish, and in home-roasted food, the decreasing order: Fish > Chicken > Maize >Plantain > Meat. The highest risk among the heavy metals studied is posed by Pb, which is likely to pose a risk to both adults and children due to the Target Hazard Quotient of above 1. The findings emphasized the importance of monitoring and regulating the street food industry to reduce the health risks linked with consuming contaminated food.