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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 73(2), 2005, pp. 477-479
Copyright © 2005 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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SHORT REPORT


ARSENIC CONTAMINATION IN DRINKING WATER AND SKIN MANIFESTATIONS IN LOWLAND NEPAL: THE FIRST COMMUNITY-BASED SURVEY

MAKHAN MAHARJAN, CHIHO WATANABE*, SK. AKTAR AHMAD, AND RYUTARO OHTSUKA
Department of Human Ecology, School of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dhaka, Bangladesh

 

ABSTRACT

A community-based, dose-response study on arsenic contamination was conducted in three communities in Terai in lowland Nepal. The arsenic concentration of all the tube wells in use (n = 146) and the prevalence of arsenic-induced skin manifestation among 1,343 (approximately 80% of the inhabitants) subjects indicated the existence of a highly contaminated area in Terai. It was found that overall prevalence of arsenicosis among the subjects ≥ 15 years old was 6.9%, which was comparable to those found by the same examiner in arsenic-contaminated areas in Bangladesh, and that males had prevalence a twice as high as females, which could not be explained by the difference in the exposure level.

Received May 21, 2004. Accepted for publication August 26, 2004.

Acknowledgments: We thank all villagers in Goini and Kunwars for their hospitality and cooperation. Makhan Maharjan conducted fieldwork and laboratory and statistical analyses. Chiho Watanabe supervised the overall study, including the fieldwork. Akhtar Ahmad conducted the clinical examinations for arsenicosis. Ryutaro Ohtsuka managed the project and participated in the fieldwork. All authors cooperated in writing the report.

Financial support: This work was done as a part of the research project on "Health Effects of Environmental Arsenic Exposure in Lowland Nepal," and was supported by the Alliance for Global Sustainability Program, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology in Japan. The sponsors had no role in the design of the study, collection, and interpretation of data, or preparation of the report.

* Address correspondence to Dr. Chiho Watanabe, Department of Human Ecology, School of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. E-mail: chiho{at}humeco.m.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Authors’ addresses: Makhan Maharjan, Chiho Watanabe, and Ryu-taro Ohtsuka, Department of Human Ecology, School of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan, E-mails: makhan_maharjan{at}hotmail.com, chiho{at}humeco.m.u-tokyo.ac.jp, and rohtsuka{at}humeco.m.u-tokyo.ac.jp. Sk. Aktar Ahmad, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine, Mohakali, Dhaka-1212, Bangla-desh, E-mail: anon{at}mail.bdcom.com.




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 J. Epidemiol. Community HealthHome page
M. Maharjan, C. Watanabe, S. A. Ahmad, M. Umezaki, and R. Ohtsuka
Mutual interaction between nutritional status and chronic arsenic toxicity due to groundwater contamination in an area of Terai, lowland Nepal
J Epidemiol Community Health, May 1, 2007; 61(5): 389 - 394.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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Copyright © 2005 by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.