Human Health Risk Assessment of Phenolic Contaminants in Lake Xingkai, China

Cresols are aromatic organic compounds widely used in industrial and agricultural production. They have been detected in large quantities in aquatic environments, posing health risks such as skin irritation, gastrointestinal stimulation, and chronic neurological effects. In this study, we investigated the exposure concentration of cresols in the water bodies of Lake Xingkai (i.e., Daxingkai and Xiaoxingkai Lakes) during four typical hydrological periods (30 April, 22 June, 5 September, and 1 November 2021), assessed the human health risk from phenolic contaminants using the mean value method, and determined the health risk of adult cresol exposure in the Lake Xingkai watershed based on local population exposure parameters. This study developed a water environmental pollution health risk assessment model based on the methodology proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). It further evaluated the health risks to humans posed by phenolic pollutants via the drinking water pathway. The results revealed that the concentration range of cresols in water bodies was between 5.91 × 10−1 ng·mL−1 and 6.68 ng·mL−1. The adult drinking water health risk values of cresols in the Lake Xingkai watershed were between 3.15 × 10−4 and 3.57 × 10−3, and all water samples from the 10 sites had hazard quotient (HQ) values less than 1, indicating that the non-carcinogen risk was small or negligible. The cresol HQ value in the water of Xiaoxingkai Lake was 4.6 times that found in Daxingkai Lake.