Arsenic Health Impacts to the People in Bangladesh

Abstract

In a period from 1995 to 2000, we had collected and analyzed 33,092 hand tube well water samples from four different/principal geomorphological regions (Hill tract, Table Land, Flood Plain, and Deltaic reason) i.e., from all 64 districts of Bangladesh and found arsenic in 60 districts that were above the WHO recommended value in drinking water (10 μg/L) and 50 districts that were above the maximum permissible limit, 50 μg/L. In our study for 6 years in Bangladesh, the survey for identification of arsenical patients was conducted by our group with a medical team in 261 villages of 80 police stations under 33 districts out of 50 where contamination of groundwater with arsenic is above 50 μg/L. We could not identify people suffering from arsenical skin lesions who drunk water below 100 μg/L of arsenic. During this survey, arsenic patients were identified in 222 villages of 69 police stations under 31 out of 33 districts. The number of people we examined including children was 18840, and 3725 people were identified with arsenical skin lesions. We had registered 1885 males, 1542 females, and 298 children out of the total 3725 patients, having arsenical dermal lesions, such as: melanosis, leucomelanosis, keratosis, hyperkeratosis, dorsal, non-petting oedema, gangrene, cancer, etc. If children are included, then 19.77% (n=3725) have arsenical dermal lesions, and for separately adults and children, these are 24.52% and 6.13%, respectively. Buccal mucus membrane melanosis (MMM) on tongue, gums, lips, etc. was also found. Rough dry skin often with palpable nodules (spotted keratosis) on dorsal of hand, feet, and legs are the symptoms seen in severe cases.