Seasonal Variation of Indoor Dust Levels of Potential Toxic Heavy Metals in Early Childhood Education Classrooms

Abstract

The study examines the seasonal variation in potentially toxic heavy metals found in indoor dust in early childhood classrooms, as heavy metal exposure becomes more common in Nigerian childcare settings. Six preschool dust samples from two Nigerian cities were collected during the dry and wet seasons, respectively. After being dried to a consistent weight, the dust samples were ground in a standard pulverizer. The Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) method was used to conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses of the samples to determine the heavy metal and elemental composition of the dust in both locations. The dust samples contained seven heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn), with concentrations varying by season: Co 0.83 µgg^-1 to Zn 38.43 µgg^-1 during the rainy season, and 1.82 µgg^-1 Cu to 80.00 µgg^-1 Zn during the dry season. The study concluded that seven elements were present in the sample, and it is recommended that the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria implement the necessary mechanisms to monitor the impact of dust on preschool children.