Residential exposure to drinking water arsenic in Inner Mongolia, China

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2007.02.012· OSTI ID:21077767

Zhixiong, Ning ^[1]; Lobdell, Danelle T ^[2]; Zhiyi, Liu; Shiying, Zhang; Chenglong, Ma ^[1]; Riediker, Michael ^[3]; Mumford, Judy L ^[2]

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1. Ba Men Anti-Epidemic Station, Lin He, Inner Mongolia (China)
2. Epidemiology and Biomarkers Branch, Human Studies Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. EPA, Chapel Hill (United States)
3. Institut Universitaire Romand de Sante au Travail, Lausanne (Switzerland)

In the Ba Men region of Inner Mongolia, China, a high prevalence of chronic arsenism has been reported in earlier studies. A survey of the arsenic contamination among wells from groundwater was conducted to better understand the occurrence of arsenic (As) in drinking water. A total of 14,866 wells (30% of all wells in the region) were analyzed for their arsenic-content. Methods used to detect arsenic were Spectrophotometric methods with DCC-Ag (detection limit, 0.5 {mu}g of As/L); Spot method (detection limit, 10 {mu}g of As/L); and air assisted Colorimetry method (detection limit, 20 {mu}g of As/L). Arsenic-concentrations ranged from below limit of detection to 1200 {mu}g of As/L. Elevated concentrations were related to well depth (10 to 29 m), the date the well was built (peaks from 1980-1990), and geographic location (near mountain range). Over 25,900 individuals utilized wells with drinking water arsenic concentrations above 20 {mu}g of As/L (14,500 above 50 {mu}g of As/L-the current China national standard in drinking water and 2198 above 300 {mu}g of As/L). The presented database of arsenic in wells of the Ba Men region provides a useful tool for planning future water explorations when combined with geological information as well as support for designing upcoming epidemiological studies on the effects of arsenic in drinking water for this region.

• OSTI ID: 21077767
• Journal Information: Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Vol. 222, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2007.02.012; PII: S0041-008X(07)00072-5; Copyright (c) 2007 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0041-008X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ARSENIC
DRINKING WATER
GROUND WATER
MOUNTAINS
SENSITIVITY
SPECTROPHOTOMETRY
WATER WELLS