Relationship between endemic diseases and trace elements in the natural environment of Jilin province of China

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Trace Subst. Environ. Health; (United States)

OSTI ID:6059417

Zhang, X

Jilin province is in the middle of the north eastern region of China. Several endemic diseases are recognized there: endemic goiter, endemic fluorosis, Kaschin - Beck disease and Keshan disease. Their etiology is uncertain but they are widely distributed in rural areas which are not contaminated by industrial waste. This study shows that there is a regular distribution of some trace elements (Se, Mo, I, F) in soil, crops and drinking water as the natural environmental factors (topography, climate, types of soil and plant) vary from east to west in the province. Endemic goiter is widely spread in the upland areas, which are deficient in iodine. Iodine levels in the drinking water were less than 5.0 ug/l which accounted for 60.72% of total samples. Endemic fluorosis was distributed only in the lowland areas of the plains. Fluorine contents in 80% of water samples were more than 2.1 mg/1 in the disease areas. Kaschin-Bec, disease and Keshan disease were distributed in the mountains and hills of the eastern part of the province. The selenium and molybdenum contents of soils, crops and drinking water in the disease areas were lower than those of non-disease areas. The difference between them was significant (p < 0.01). Kaschin-Beck disease also occurred in the local plains where there were selenium deficiencies in crops and drinking water. The relationship between Kaschin-Beck disease and selenium in grains (corn) presented a significant correlation Keshan disease is also associated with deficiency in selenium and molybdenum. 13 references, 2 figures, 6 tables.

• Research Organization: Changchun Institute of Geography, China
• OSTI ID: 6059417
• Report Number(s): CONF-860626-
• Journal Information: Trace Subst. Environ. Health; (United States), Conference: 20. annual conference on trace substances in environmental health, Columbia, MO, USA, 2 Jun 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DISEASES
ETIOLOGY
DRINKING WATER
CONTAMINATION
FLUORIDES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
HEALTH HAZARDS
IODINE
MOLYBDENUM
SELENIUM
SOILS
CHINA
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY
TRACE AMOUNTS
ASIA
DATA
ELEMENTS
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HALOGENS
HAZARDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
METALS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SEMIMETALS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WATER
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism &amp; Toxicology
550900 - Pathology
510200 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring &amp; Transport- (-1989)
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring &amp; Transport- (-1989)