## 4 Conclusions  
This study carried out an extensive assessment of the trace elements present in soil samples at the Akonolinga rutile deposits zone and estimated the health risk of human exposure. The average concentrations of the various trace elements in the soils were higher than the global average values except Ba, Mn, Sn, Y, Cu, and Zn. The elements Ni and Fe in particular have an average that exceeds the maximum limits assimilable by the soil authorized by the WHO. The EF results indicate high enrichment in Zr, Pb, Ti, and Nb and significant enrichment for some sites in Cr and Co. The potential environmental risk (RI) in this study is low and the Geo-Accumulation Index (I\({}_{\text{geo}}\)) indicates indirect non-contamination. As for CF, it indicates high contamination in Cr, Nb, Ti, and Zr, moderate contamination in Fe, Co, Cu, Ga, Ni, V, and Pb, and low contamination in Ba, Mn, Zn, and Y. The carcinogenic risk is moderate (3.8 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-4}\)), and the non-carcinogenic risk is significant for children (106) and considerable for adults (9.9). The Pearson correlation matrix revealed a moderate correlation between Fe and the elements, Cu, Ga, Ni, Pb, and Rb, indicating the same source of these trace elements. The assessment of TE concentrations \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**TE**} & **Ingestion** & **Inhalation** & **Non-Carcinogenic** & **Ingestion** & **Inhalation** & **Non-Carcinogenic** \\  & **Child** & **Child** & **Child** & **Adult** & **Adult** & **Adult** \\  & **HQ** & **HQ** & **HI** & **HQ** & **HQ** & **HI** \\ \hline  & & & & & & \\ \hline  & & & & & & \\ \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 10: Non-carcinogenic risk from exposure to trace elements. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**TE** & **Ingestion Risk** & **Inhalation Risk** & **Carcinogenic Risk** \\ \hline  & 3.73 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-4}\) & 6.96 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-6}\) & 3.8 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-4}\) \\  & - & 4.18 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-8}\) & 4.18 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-8}\) \\  & Nickel & - & 3.81 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-9}\) & 3.18 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-9}\) \\  & Total Risk/HI & 3.73 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-4}\) & 7.01 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-6}\) & 3.8 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-4}\) \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 9: Carcinogenic risk from exposure to TE. in this area enables us to anticipate the potential challenges associated with the incoming mining activities of rutile ore. This first assessment can help to develop safety measures for future miners. However, certain limitations of this study should be noted; in particular, the limited sample size and the lack of studies to assess long-term effects. To overcome these shortcomings, future research could focus on a more thorough assessment of exposure ways, as well as an in-depth analysis of the effects on human health and surrounding ecosystems. Conceptualization, S.; methodology, F.K.S., D.S.G. and S.; software, F.K.S. and D.S.G. ; validation, D.S.G., O.B.M. and S.; formal analysis, I.R. and E.D.N. ; investigation, F.K.S., D.S.G., O.B.M. and E.D.N. ; resources, D.S.G., O.B.M., Y.O., N.A., C.K., M.H., S. and S.T. ; data curation F.K.S., D.S.G., O.B.M., I.R. and E.D.N. ; writing--original draft preparation, F.K.S., D.S.G. and S.; writing--review and editing, F.K.S., D.S.G., O.B.M., E.D.N. and S.; visualization, F.K.S., D.S.G., O.B.M. and E.D.N. ; supervision, O.B.M., C.K., M.H., S. and S.T. ; project administration, S.; funding acquisition, S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. This research was funded by ERAN, grant number [FY-21-15] and the Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation of Cameroon [Public Investment Budget 2020]. Not applicable. The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.