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Selenium: A Right Choice to Treat Arsenicosis in Bangladesh

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Climate Change and Food Security in South Asia

Abstract

One half of the Bangladeshi population has been drinking arsenic contaminated water, drawn from the ground by tube-wells since 1993. More than 38,000 arsenicosis cases are reported. The present knowledge of the management of arsenicosis is limited, and specific treatment of chronic poisoning has not yet been identified.

With the approval of the ethical review board of the Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC) double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial with selenium intervention was carried out on 174 arsenicosis patients, irrespective of age and sex, for 12 months in a hyper-contaminated rural area of Bangladesh. In this study, melanosis decreased in 76% (n = 67, p < 0.00) of selenium treated patients and palmo-planter keratosis in 81% (n = 67, p < 0.00). For the selenium group arsenic content was decreased 38.2% (p < 0.01) in hair and 37.2% (p < 0.00) in nails. Overall symptoms improved 68% (p < 0.00) in the selenium treated group. There was no observed toxicity in a heart, kidney and liver function test. It was found that a dose of 100 μg of selenium as selenomethionine per day along with use of arsenic safe water for 12 months in chronic arsenic toxicity is a safe and effective treatment for arsenicosis.

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Abbreviations

BMRC:

Bangladesh Medical Research Council

ECG:

Electrocardiogram

HG-AAS:

Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrometer

NAMIC:

National Arsenic Mitigation information Center

SGPT:

Serum Glutamic Pyruvate Transaminase

SPSS:

Statistical Package for Social Sciences

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Acknowledgement

It is a profound privilege to acknowledge a deep sense of gratitude to Professor Dr. Shah Mohammed Keramat Ali, professor of nutrition and food science, University of Dhaka, for his continuous thrust to undertake this study and necessary corrections in finalizing this manuscript. The author gratefully acknowledges the help received from the Managing Committee of Surjodayshangha, Shahpur union, Noakhali and to the staffs of National Hospital, Noakhali for their active co-operation in data collection. I express my indebtedness and gratitude to Dr. Mohammad Alauddin, chairman, Exotics Technology Center, Ashwuliya, Dhaka for his active contributions. I thank the management of The Acme Laboratories Limited, Dhaka for their immense co-operation. I am sincerely grateful to the Environmental unit of World Health Organization (WHO), Bangladesh for their assistance. Finally, thanks to my patients for their kind participation and co-operation to accomplish this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh

    Abdul Momin

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  1. Abdul Momin
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Correspondence to Abdul Momin .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Coffey Rd 2021, COLUMBUS, 43210-1043, Ohio, USA

    Rattan Lal

  2. Div. Agricultural Meteorology, World Meteorological Organization, avenue de la Paix 7bis, Geneve, 1211, Switzerland

    Mannava V.K. Sivakumar

  3. , Dept. of Soil, Water and Environment, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh

    S.M.A. Faiz

  4. , Dept. of Soil, Water and Environment, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh

    A.H.M. Mustafizur Rahman

  5. OARDC Piketon Station, Shyville Road 1864, Piketon, 45661, USA

    Khandakar R. Islam

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Momin, A. (2010). Selenium: A Right Choice to Treat Arsenicosis in Bangladesh. In: Lal, R., Sivakumar, M., Faiz, S., Mustafizur Rahman, A., Islam, K. (eds) Climate Change and Food Security in South Asia. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9516-9_8

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