Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> Dust samples from indoor environments and outdoor roads on campuses of a vocational university (University A) and a comprehensive university (University B) in East China were collected and determined for heavy metals to investigate the pollution characteristics, sources, and potential risks of these elements. Similar variation patterns in heavy metal content were available for both indoor and outdoor dust samples, with great amounts of Zn and Mn, low levels of As and Cd, and comparable concentrations of Pb, Cu, Cr, and Ni. Concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cu and Cd in dust were observed frequently exceeding corresponding soil background values. Heavy metal concentrations were in low to mediate levels comparing with results from some other universities at different regions. Zn in indoor dust and of concentrations of Zn and Pb in outdoor dust at University A were observed significantly higher than those at University B. At each campus, contents of several elements in indoor dust varied among different functional zones. Correlation analysis and PCA results tended to suggest that in indoor dust, these elements might mainly originated from natural sources, vehicle exhaust and building paint weathering. In outdoor dust, these elements possibly mainly originated from natural sources, vehicle exhaust, tire wear, and road construction materials. The geoaccumulation index ( <italic>I</italic> <sub> <italic>geo</italic> </sub> ) values indicated that As, Pb, Cr, Ni, and Mn in indoor dust from the two universities were both unpolluted, whereas Cu and Cd were slightly polluted, and Zn were moderately polluted. In outdoor dust, As, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Mn from University A and As, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Mn from University B were unpolluted, whereas Zn, Pb, and Cd from University A and Zn and Cd from University B were slightly polluted. Health risk assessment results showed that heavy metals in campus dust posed no non-carcinogenic/carcinogenic health risks to teaching staff and students. Relatively elevated Cu and Zn tended to be the key elements characterization the pollution pattern of vocational university. </p>