Murshidabad--one of the nine groundwater arsenic-affected districts of West Bengal, India. Part II: dermatological, neurological, and obstetric findings.
TL;DR: Multisystemic disorders, including dermal effects, neurological complications, and adverse obstetric outcomes, were observed to be associated with chronic arsenic exposure in the study population in Murshidabad, West Bengal.
Abstract: Introduction. To understand the severity of related health effects of chronic arsenic exposure in West Bengal, a detailed 3-year study was carried out in Murshidabad, one of the nine arsenic-affected districts in West Bengal. Methods. We screened 25,274 people from 139 arsenic-affected villages in Murshidabad to identify patients suffering from chronic arsenic toxicity for evidence of multisystemic features and collected biological samples such as head hair, nail, and spot urine from the patients along with the tubewell water they were consuming. Results. Out of 25,274 people screened, 4813 (19%) were registered with arsenical skin lesions. A case series involving arsenical skin lesions resulting in cancer and gangrene were noted during this study. Representative histopathological pictures of skin biopsy of different types of lesions were also presented. Out of 2595 children we examined for arsenical skin lesions, 122 (4%) were registered with arsenical skin lesions, melanosis with or without keratosis. D...
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TL;DR: Arsenic-induced skin lesions seem to be the most common and initial symptoms of arsenicosis, and more systematic studies are needed to determine the link between As exposure and its related cancer and noncancer end points.
Abstract: Worldwide chronic arsenic (As) toxicity has become a human health threat. Arsenic exposure to humans mainly occurs from the ingestion of As contaminated water and food. This communication presents a review of current research conducted on the adverse health effects on humans exposed to As-contaminated water. Chronic exposure of As via drinking water causes various types of skin lesions such as melanosis, leucomelanosis, and keratosis. Other manifestations include neurological effects, obstetric problems, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, diseases of the respiratory system and of blood vessels including cardiovascular, and cancers typically involving the skin, lung, and bladder. The skin seems to be quite susceptible to the effects of As. Arsenic-induced skin lesions seem to be the most common and initial symptoms of arsenicosis. More systematic studies are needed to determine the link between As exposure and its related cancer and noncancer end points.
354 citations
Cites background from "Murshidabad--one of the nine ground..."
...A series of adverse obstetric outcomes have been documented in women subjected to As present in drinking water from the As-endemic areas of West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh states of India (Rahman et al. 2005; Mukherjee et al. 2005; Chakraborti et al. 2003; Ahamed et al. 2006a)....
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...…population exposed to As present in drinking water in the four Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh were reported in several publications (Chowdhury et al. 2000; Rahman et al. 2001; Mukherjee et al. 2003, 2005; Chakraborti et al. 1999, 2003; Ahamed et al. 2006a)....
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TL;DR: The GNEE electrode has been successfully used for the simultaneous detection of As(III), Cu(II), and Hg(II) at sub-part-per-billion level without any interference for the first time.
Abstract: Simultaneous electrochemical detection of As(III), Hg(II), and Cu(II) using a highly sensitive platform based on gold nanoelectrode ensembles (GNEEs) is described. GNEEs were grown by colloidal chemical approach on thiol-functionalized sol—gel derived three-dimensional silicate network preassembled on a polycrystalline gold (Au) electrode. GNEEs on the silicate network have been characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and electrochemical measurements. Square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) has been used for the detection of As(III) and Hg(II) without any interference from Cu(II) at the potentials of 0.06 and 0.53 V, respectively. The GNEE electrode is highly sensitive, and it shows linear response for As(III) and Hg(II) up to 15 ppb. The detection limit (signal-to-noise ratio = 4) of the GNEE electrode toward As(III) and Hg(II) is 0.02 ppb, which is well below the guideline value given by the World Health Organization (WH...
315 citations
TL;DR: In this article, Monte Carlo simulations were run following fitting of model probability curves to measured distributions of (i) As concentration in rice and drinking water and (ii) inorganic As content of rice and fitting distributions to published data on ingestion rates and body weight and point estimates on bioconcentration factors, exposure duration and other input variables.
290 citations
TL;DR: This book aims to provide a history of dermatology in Bangladesh and some of the techniques used in the field have been described as new and innovative.
Abstract: School of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India Department of Neurology, Medical College, Kolkata, India Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, S.S.K.M. Hospital, Kolkata, India Retired Professor of Dermatology, School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata Department of Dermatology, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, S.S.K.M. Hospital, Kolkata, India Dhaka Community Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
277 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors conducted a study on the effects of exposure to arsenic on human reproduction and found that arsenic exposure is one of the major global health problems, affecting > 300 million people worldwide.
Abstract: BackgroundExposure to arsenic is one of the major global health problems, affecting > 300 million people worldwide, but arsenic’s effects on human reproduction are uncertain.ObjectivesWe conducted ...
262 citations
References
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TL;DR: The experience in Bangladesh shows that groundwater sources throughout the world that are used for drinking-water should be tested for arsenic, and the fundamental intervention is the identification and provision of arsenic-free drinking water.
Abstract: The contamination of groundwater by arsenic in Bangladesh is the largest poisoning of a population in history, with millions of people exposed. This paper describes the history of the discovery of arsenic in drinking-water in Bangladesh and recommends intervention strategies. Tube-wells were installed to provide ‘‘pure water’’ to prevent morbidity and mortality from gastrointestinal disease. The water from the millions of tube-wells that were installed was not tested for arsenic contamination. Studies in other countries where the population has had long-term exposure to arsenic in groundwater indicate that 1 in 10 people who drink water containing 500mg of arsenic per litre may ultimately die from cancers caused by arsenic, including lung, bladder and skin cancers. The rapid allocation of funding and prompt expansion of current interventions to address this contamination should be facilitated. The fundamental intervention is the identification and provision of arsenic-free drinking water. Arsenic is rapidly excreted in urine, and for early or mild cases, no specific treatment is required. Community education and participation are essential to ensure that interventions are successful; these should be coupled with follow-up monitoring to confirm that exposure has ended. Taken together with the discovery of arsenic in groundwater in other countries, the experience in Bangladesh shows that groundwater sources throughout the world that are used for drinking-water should be tested for arsenic.
1,946 citations
"Murshidabad--one of the nine ground..." refers background in this paper
...We report in this paper observations from our studies during June 2000 to July 2003 on dermatological, neurological with special reference to neuropathy, and obstetric complications in patients of arsenicosis in Murshidabad, one of the nine arsenic-affected districts of West Bengal, India....
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...Arsenic toxicity owing to groundwater arsenic contamination has been reported from many countries, but the situation is most alarming in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India (1,2)....
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01 Jan 2009
TL;DR: Arsenic in drinking water: not just a problem for Bangladesh D. van Halem, S. A. Bakker, G. L. Amy, and J. C. van Dijk Delft University of Technology.
Abstract: Arsenic in drinking water: not just a problem for Bangladesh D. van Halem, S. A. Bakker, G. L. Amy, and J. C. van Dijk Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands UNESCO-IHE, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, The Netherlands Received: 11 December 2008 – Accepted: 15 February 2009 – Published: 26 February 2009 Correspondence to: D. van Halem (d.vanhalem@tudelft.nl) Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the Delft University of Technology.
1,696 citations
01 Jan 2000
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors have collected 10,991 water smples from 42 arsenic-affected districts in Bangladesh for analysis, 58,166 water samples from nine arsenic affected districts inWestBengal.
Abstract: Ninedistricts inWestBengal, India, and42districts inBangldesh have arsenic levels ingroundwater above theWorldHealth Oranization mxmumpermissible limit of50pg/L. Thearea andpopulation ofthe42districts inBangadesh andthe9districts inWestBengal are92,106 km2and79.9 million and38,865 kI2and42.7 million, respectively. Inourpreliminar study, wehave identified 985anenic-affected villags in69police stations/blocks ofnine arsenic-afFecteddistricts inWestBengl. InBa esh, wehave identified 492affected villages in141police stations/blocks of42affected districts. Todate, wehave collected 10,991 water smples from 42 arsenic-affected districts inBangladesh foranalysis, 58,166 water samples fromnine arsenicaffected districts inWestBengal. Ofthewater samples that weanalzd, 59and34%,respectively, contained arsenic levels above 50pg/L. Thousands ofhair, nail, andurine samples from peopleliving inarsenic-affected villages have been analyzed todate; Badeh andWestBengal, 93 and77%samples, onanaverage, contained arsenic above thenormal/toxic level. Wesurveyed 27 of42districts inBangadesh for arsenic patients; weidendfied patients with arsenical skin lesions in25districts. InWestBengal, weidentified patients with lesions inseven ofninedistrict. We examined people from theaected villages atrandom forarsenical dermtoloc features (11,180 and29,035 from Bang handWestBengal, respectively); 24A47 and15.02% ofthose examined, respectively, hadsidn lesions. After 10years ofstudy inWestBenlad5inBangladesh, wefeel that wehave seen only thetip oficeberg. Keywords arsenic inwater, hair, nail, urine, skin-scale samples; arsenic-affected districts inBangladesh andWestBengal, India; arsenical sidn lesions; combat thearsenic crisis; estimated population drinking arsenic-contaminated water;
764 citations
TL;DR: Thousands of hair, nail, and urine samples from people living in arsenic-affected villages have been analyzed to date; Bangladesh and West Bengal, 93 and 77% samples, on an average, contained arsenic above the normal/toxic level.
Abstract: Nine districts in West Bengal, India, and 42 districts in Bangladesh have arsenic levels in groundwater above the World Health Organization maximum permissible limit of 50 microg/L. The area and po...
751 citations
"Murshidabad--one of the nine ground..." refers background in this paper
...In our earlier studies, we reported neurological manifestations due to groundwater arsenic toxicity in populations of West Bengal (2,25,26), Madhya Pradesh (27), Bihar (12), and among people receiving homeopathic treatment with ingestion of highly concentrated arsenic compounds (28)....
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...In our earlier studies, we reported neurological manifestations due to groundwater arsenic toxicity in populations of West Bengal (2,25,26), Madhya Pradesh (27), Bihar (12), and among people receiving homeopathic treatment with ingestion of highly concentrated arsenic compounds (28)....
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...Arsenic toxicity owing to groundwater arsenic contamination has been reported from many countries, but the situation is most alarming in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India (1,2)....
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...The exceptions were cases where 1) water contained 1000 mg/L of arsenic or 2) poor nutrition was coupled with 500 mg/L of arsenic (2,25)....
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...In Table 5 the results from these two groups were compared with those from Group C, the control group from the Midnapore district, West Bengal, drinking water with arsenic concentration less than 3 mg/L. Arsenical skin lesions were present in four of the six subjects of Group A and nine among 11 subjects of Group B....
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TL;DR: In six districts of West Bengal arsenic has been found in ground water above the maximum permissible limit recommended by the WHO, and more than 175,000 people are showing arsenical skin lesions that are the late stages of manifestation of arsenic toxicity.
Abstract: In six districts of West Bengal arsenic has been found in ground water above the maximum permissible limit recommended by the WHO of 0.05 mg l–1. This water is used by the villagers for drinking, cooking and other household purposes. These six districts have an area of 34 000 km2 and hold a population of 30 million. Over the last five years we have surveyed only a few small areas of these six affected districts and our survey revealed that, at present, at least 800 000 people from 312 villages in 37 blocks are drinking contaminated water and more than 175 000 people are showing arsenical skin lesions that are the late stages of manifestation of arsenic toxicity. Most of the three stages of arsenic-related clinical manifestations are observed amongst the affected people. The common symptoms are conjunctivitis, melanosis, depigmentation, keratosis and hyperkeratosis; cases of gangrene and malignant neoplasms are also observed. The source of arsenic is geological. We have analysed thousands of arsenic contaminated water samples. Most of the water samples contain a mixture of arsenite and arsenate and in none of them could we detect methylarsonic or dimethylarsinic acid. We have also analysed a large number of urine, hair and nail samples, several skin-scales and some liver tissues (biopsy samples) of the people drinking the arsenic contaminated water and showing arsenical skin lesions. Flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-HGAAS) was used for the analysis of hair, nails, urine and skin-scale after decomposition by various techniques. The liver tissues were analysed by Zeeman corrected-ETAAS using a few milligrams of the biopsy samples.
547 citations
"Murshidabad--one of the nine ground..." refers methods in this paper
...Sample digestion and instrument conditions were described earlier (10,11)....
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