Abstract
The role of arsenic-safe drinking water and anti-oxidants in the management of arsenicosis patients were observed. Two hundred and fifty patients of arsenicosis from an arsenic-affected area of Bangladesh were included and divided into five groups based on the source of drinking water (green- or red-marked tube well) and intake of anti-oxidants (vitamin A, C and E). Melanosis improved in 43 patients of the group who took arsenic-safe drinking water from green-marked tube well and anti-oxidants regularly. Patients of the group who took green-marked tube well water regularly but not the anti-oxidant showed improvement in melanosis in 22 cases. The respondents who were using red-marked tube well water and anti-oxidants, only two of them improved; and all other respondents either deteriorated or did not improve. The respondents who were using red-marked tube well water but not the anti-oxidant, none did show any improvement of their illness. The respondents who took anti-oxidants irregularly and had irregular intake of safe water, were not considered to compare the prognosis of skin lesions. Regarding keratosis, the respondents who took green-marked tube well water regularly and anti-oxidant regularly, 8 of them improved, 1 case didn’t change; while the respondents who took green-marked tube well water regularly but not the anti-oxidant, 8 cases didn’t improve much but majority of them remain unchanged. Among the respondents of other groups, keratosis deteriorated. This study suggests that both arsenic-safe drinking water and use of anti-oxidants gave good result in improvement of the arsenicosis.
Highlights
Access to safe water supply is one of the most important detriments of health and socio-economic development
At present there are about 7-8 million tube wells to tap better quality water and 97% of rural drinking water supply is obtained from ground water sources (Ahmed and Ahmed, 2002)
At present there are about 6-8 million shallow tube well in the country (Ahmed and Ahmed, 2002) and 97% of the rural drinking water supply in Bangladesh is obtained from ground water
Summary
Access to safe water supply is one of the most important detriments of health and socio-economic development. In the first half of the 1970s, Bangladesh faced an infant mortality rate of around 140 per 1000 with diarrhea being a major determinant. For young children 1-4 years, diarrhea accounted for nearly half of all deaths. At present there are about 7-8 million tube wells to tap better quality water and 97% of rural drinking water supply is obtained from ground water sources (Ahmed and Ahmed, 2002). These tube well installation initiatives have contributed significantly to the halving of infant mortality over 36 years from 161 per 1000 in 1960 to 83 per 1000 in 1996
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