Well Water Arsenic Exposure, Arsenic Induced Skin-Lesions and Self-Reported Morbidity in Inner Mongolia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Yajuan Xia⁴  Timothy J. Wade¹  Kegong Wu⁴  Yanhong Li⁴  Zhixiong Ning²  X Chris Le³  Xingzhou He⁵  Binfei Chen⁶  Yong Feng⁷ 

[1] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; E-Mails:;Ba Men Anti Epidemic Station, Bayingnormen, Inner Mongolia, China; E-Mail:;University of Alberta, Department of Public Health Sciences, Edmonton, Canada; E-Mail:;Inner Mongolia Center for Endemic Disease Control and Research, Huhhot, Inner Mongolia, China; E-Mails:;Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine, Institute of Environmental Health & Engineering, Beijing, China; E-Mail: He;Computer Sciences Corporation, RTP, North Carolina; E-Mail:;Hangjin Hou Centers for Disease Control, Inner Mongolia, China; E-Mail:

关键词: Arsenic;    drinking water;    Inner Mongolia;    hyperkeratosis;    skin lesions;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph6031010

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Residents of the Bayingnormen region of Inner Mongolia have been exposed to arsenic-contaminated well water for over 20 years, but relatively few studies have investigated health effects in this region. We surveyed one village to document exposure to arsenic and assess the prevalence of arsenic-associated skin lesions and self-reported morbidity. Five-percent (632) of the 12,334 residents surveyed had skin lesions characteristics of arsenic exposure. Skin lesions were strongly associated with well water arsenic and there was an elevated prevalence among residents with water arsenic exposures as low as 5 μg/L-10 μg/L. The presence of skin lesions was also associated with self-reported cardiovascular disease.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2009 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland.