Integrating source apportionment, health risk assessment, and biomonitoring of PTEs in household vacuum dust from a mining and industrial hot spotČeru, Teja (Avtor) Ivartnik, Matej (Avtor) Hudopisk, Neda (Avtor) Bavec, Špela (Avtor) indoor dustheavy metalshuman exposuresource apportionmentblood lead levels (BLLs)Meža ValleyIndoor dust is an important exposure pathway for potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in industrial hotspots such as the Meža Valley (Slovenia), impacted by centuries of Pb–Zn mining/smelting and ongoing metallurgical activities. This study is the first to examine household dust from homes of children participating in biomonitoring, providing a unique opportunity to directly assess the relationship between indoor contamination and biomonitoring outcomes. Household vacuum dust from 27 homes (Upper Meža Valley, n = 13; Lower Meža Valley, n = 14) was analysed for 12 metal(loid)s. Statistical analyses identified three dominant source-related groups: (1) Pb–Zn–Cd (legacy mining/smelting), (2) Cu–Sn (Pb recycling), and (3) Cr–Ni–Mo (steel production), indicating a mixed anthropogenic fingerprint across the valley. Health risk assessment of PTEs indicates that ingestion is the primary exposure pathway, with children facing 7–12 times higher non-carcinogenic risks than adults. Children’s blood lead levels (BLLs) were generally low (75th percentile = 31 µg L⁻¹), although 6 of 27 exceeded the CDC blood lead reference value of 35 µg L⁻¹. Lead concentrations in household dust significantly predicted BLL variability (adjusted R² ≈ 0.23), highlighting indoor dust as a relevant contributor to internal lead exposure. Cumulative cancer risks remained within acceptable regulatory limits under both worst-case (100% Cr(VI), 9.03 × 10⁻⁵) and more realistic (5% Cr(VI), 1.97 × 10⁻⁵) scenarios. Persistent indoor contamination following the 2023 flooding events, despite ongoing remediation efforts, underscores the need for area-wide mitigation strategies and continued environmental and health monitoring to limit PTE transfer into indoor environments.20262026-06-24 10:54:01Neznano30397sl