scholarly journals The Groundwater Geochemistry and the Human Health Risk Assessment of Drinking Water in an Area with a High Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu), Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
W. S. M. Botheju ◽  
J. A. Liyanage ◽  
S. D. P. Kannangara

Chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) has become an alarming health issue in Sri Lanka. The disease is more notable among farming communities and people who consume groundwater as their main source of drinking water. To assess the possible links between drinking water chemistry and expansion of CKDu, the study was compared with hydrogeochemical data of drinking water sources in a CKDu prevalent area (Girandurukotte GND, Badulla District) and a reference area (Dambethalawa GND, Ampara District) in Sri Lanka. Based on the results, nephrotoxic heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Pb, and As) concentrations were significantly higher in the CKDu prevalent site than the reference area, compromised the harmful consequences to the people in the CKDu hotspot. Results of the inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation tool indicated the nephrotoxic heavy metals contents including Cd, Pb, As, and Cr in CKDu hotspot were changed in the ranges of 9.78–187.25 μg/L, 0.08–0.66 μg/L, 20.76–103.30 μg/L, and 0.03–0.34 μg/L. The random distribution patterns were shown by the result in Moran’s index values. Noteworthy, the results have emphasized a strong association between fluoride and water hardness. The frequency of occurrence above the threshold limit of fluoride was 28% in non-CKDu water samples, while 81% in CKDu prevalent sites. The hardness values in the CKDu prevalent site indicated “moderately hard water,” while the non-CKDu area indicated the “soft water.” Furthermore, this paper quantified overall water quality and heavy metal contamination and assessed the human health risks associated with drinking water. According to the results of the water quality index, 90% of the samples in the CKDu prevalent area were classified as “poor water” and “very poor water” for drinking purposes, while 73.33% of the samples in the non-CKDu area were “good” and “excellent” for drinking usage. Calculated chronic daily intake (CDIoral) and hazard quotient (HQoral) of nephrotoxicants were higher in CKDu hotspot than the non-CKDu site. Besides, the hazard index (HI) values obtained for the CKDu prevalent area exceeding the acceptable limit (HI = 1) indicated potential health risks to the people in those areas. This study suggests that long-term exposure to nephrotoxic heavy metals, water hardness, and fluoride present in drinking water may threaten human health and affect kidney functions. Therefore, regular monitoring and better management of water supplies in CKDu prevalent areas are essential to determine the contamination load and reduce the health impacts due to excessive and long-term exposure to the nephrotoxicants.

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
W. P. R. T. Perera ◽  
M. D. N. R. Dayananda ◽  
J. A. Liyanage

The introduction of elevated amounts of foreign ions into the blood may lead to impairment of the filtration membrane of kidneys and chronic kidney damage. In order to assess the risk of consumption of drinking water (dug well water) in chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu), affected areas in Sri Lanka, trace metals, and other counterions in water samples obtained from dug wells were analyzed and compared with a reference area. Drinking water could be the major source that is responsible for entering nephrotoxic ion contaminants into the human body. To achieve the objective, drinking water samples were collected from dug wells in two CKDu endemic areas and a reference area where no CKDu patients were found in a dry season. In the Wewelketiya area (one of the endemic areas), Cd concentrations in 60% of water samples and Pb concentrations in 40% of water samples have exceeded the maximum limit given by Sri Lanka water quality standards. Fluoride concentrations also have exceeded the permissible limits of more than 80% of collected water samples in both CKDu endemic areas. However, none of the water samples in reference areas has reported that Cd, Pb, and fluoride are beyond their maximum permissible limits. Hence, people in the particular CKDu endemic areas are at risk of kidney tissue damage due to long-term exposure to drinking water with elevated levels of some metal ions and counterions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
W. P. R. T. Perera ◽  
M. D. N. R. Dayananda ◽  
D. M. U. C. Dissanayake ◽  
R. A. S. D. Rathnasekara ◽  
W. S. M. Botheju ◽  
...  

Unexplained or unclear etiology of chronic kidney disease (CKDu) has been reported in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province (NCP) for more than two decades. Meanwhile, high exposure to heavy metals/metalloids and their accumulation are recognized as the origin of many acute and chronic diseases in certain vulnerable human tissues including kidneys. This study evaluates the contamination status of heavy metals/metalloids of the drinking water and agricultural soil in two CKDu endemic areas compared with a reference area in Sri Lanka based on common indexes and attribute of the commonly used fertilizers evaluated to identify the basic sources of toxic metals in the agricultural soil. Mean concentrations of heavy metals/metalloids such as Mn, Co, As, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Fe in drinking water of CKDu endemic areas were far below Sri Lankan water quality standards (permissible limits). In addition, all sampling locations dropped below the medium range of the heavy metal pollution index of water (HPI 15–40). Geoaccumulation indexes (Igeo) of soil reveal that paddy soil in CKDu endemic areas is being moderately polluted with toxic metals/metalloids such as As, Pb, Cu, Ni, Cr, Zn, and Cd. On the other hand, the application of fertilizers, which contained a high dose of toxic metals, could be the driving force for agricultural soil pollution, and limitless application of low-quality fertilizer would lead to more soil contamination with heavy metals. Hence, hazardous metals can be incorporated into the food chains via contaminated paddy soil.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 860
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Simeonidis ◽  
Manassis Mitrakas

Elevated concentrations of heavy metals in drinking water resources and industrial or urban wastewater pose a serious threat to human health and the equilibrium of ecosystems [...]


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Hale ◽  
Hans Peter H. Arp ◽  
Ivo Schliebner ◽  
Michael Neumann

Abstract Background Under the EU chemicals regulation REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals EC 1907/2006), registrants are not obliged to provide information related to intrinsic substance properties for substances that pose a threat to the drinking water resources. In 2019, perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(heptafluoropropoxy)-propanoic acid (HFPO-DA trade name GenX) were demonstrated to have an equivalent level of concern (ELoC) to persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic or very persistent and very bioaccumulative (PBT/vPvB) substances owing to their persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT) substance properties and very persistent and very mobile (vPvM) substance properties, respectively. They were both subsequently identified as substances of very high concern (SVHC) applying Article 57(f) in REACH. This work follows up on this regulatory decision by presenting a science based, conceptual level comparison that all PMT/vPvM substances pose an ELoC to PBT/vPvB substances. Using the two cases named above, as well as 1,4-dioxane, 16 categories were developed to evaluate a) serious effects on human health, b) serious effects on the environment and c) additional effects. 1,4-dioxane has recently been proposed to be classified as Carcinogenic 1B by the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC). The aim was to enable an objective and scientifically justified conclusion that these classes of substances have an equivalent level of concern for the environment and human health. Results In all of the categories related to human health, the environment and other effects, the PMT/vPvM case study substances exhibited comparable effects to PBT/vPvB substances. A difference in the human and environmental exposure pathways of PMT/vPvM and PBT/vPvB substances exists as they vary temporally and spatially. However, effects and impacts are similar, with PMT/vPvM substances potentially accumulating in (semi-)closed drinking water cycles and pristine aquatic environments, and PBT/vPvB substances accumulating in humans and the food chain. Both PMT/vPvM and PBT/vPvB substances share the common difficulty that long term and long-range transport and risk of exposure is very difficult to determine in advance and with sufficient accuracy. Conclusion The registration process of substances under REACH should reflect that PMT/vPvM substances pose an equivalent level of concern to PBT/vPvB substances.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salwinder Singh Dhaliwal ◽  
Raj Setia ◽  
Vinod Kumar ◽  
Tapan Ghosh ◽  
Sagar Taneja ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elmontaser M. Seleem ◽  
Alaa Mostafa ◽  
Mohammed Mokhtar ◽  
Salman A. Salman

2021 ◽  
pp. 111779
Author(s):  
D.N.D. Liyanage ◽  
Saranga Diyabalanage ◽  
S.P. Dunuweera ◽  
Sanath Rajapakse ◽  
R.M.G. Rajapakse ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Nahla S El-Shenawy ◽  
Heba N Gad EL-Hak ◽  
Mahi A Ghobashy ◽  
Maha FM Soliman ◽  
Farida A Mansour ◽  
...  

Accumulation of heavy metals in fish is considered a critical problem for human health. Therefore, the study aimed to quantify the concentrations of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and lead (Pb) in Oreochromis niloticus and Clarias gariepinus from two areas in Al Sharqia governorate, Egypt, from September 2017 to August 2018. A human health risk assessment was conducted to evaluate the potential hazards associated with fish consumption. Metals concentrations (mg/kg dry weight) in muscles of catfish ranged 1.88-221.26 for Fe; 1.78-19.77 for Zn; BDL-238.51 for Mn; BDL-22.75 for Pb. In muscles of tilapia fish metals concentrations ranged 7.96-149.10 for Fe; 1.20-19.77 for Zn; BDL-230.82 for Mn; BDL-25.93 for Pb. Pb had Hazard quotients (HQs) which indicated potential health risks to tilapia consumers at both study areas and catfish consumers at the Faqous area. Fishermen were at higher risk compared to the other consumers.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document