Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Toxic Risk Assessment of Arsenic in Males Through Drinking Water in Tharparkar Region of Sindh, Pakistan

  • Published:
Biological Trace Element Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Humans are exposed to arsenic (As) through air, drinking water, and food. The arsenic (As) hazardous quotient was calculated on the basis of its concentration in drinking water of different origin and scalp hair of male subjects (n = 313), residents of different exposed and non-exposed areas of Sindh, Pakistan. The total As was determined in water and scalp hair samples, while As species were determined in water samples by advance extraction methodologies. The total As concentrations in drinking water of less-exposed (LE) and high-exposed (HE) areas was found to be 2.63 to 4.46 and 52 to 235, fold higher than the permissible limit, respectively, than recommended by World Health Organization (2004) for drinking water. While the levels of As in drinking water of non-exposed (NE) areas was within the permissible limit. The resulted data indicated that the dominant species was As+5 in groundwater samples. The levels of As in scalp hair samples of male subjects of two age groups (18–30 and 31–50 years), belonging to NE, LE, and HE areas, ranged from 0.26 to 0.69, 0.58 to 1.34, and 15.6 to 60.9 μg/g, respectively. A significant correlation between As levels in drinking water and scalp hair was observed in HE area (r = 0.86–0.90, p < 0.001) as compared to those subjects belonging to LE area. A toxicity risk assessment was calculated as hazard quotient (HQ), which indicates that the study subjects of HE area have significantly higher values of HQ than LE. The population of As exposed areas is at high risk of non-carcinogenic and carcinogenesis effects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Villa-Lojo MC, Rodriguez E, Lopez-Mahia P, Mnuiategui-Lorenzo S, Parada-Rodriguez D (2002) Coupled high performance liquid chromatography–microwave digestion–hydride generation–atomic absorption spectrometry for inorganic and organic arsenic speciation in fish tissue. Talanta 57:741–750

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. NRC (National Research Council) (2001) Update arsenic in drinking water. National Academic Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chatterjee A, Das D, Mandal BK, Roychowdhury T, Samanta G, Chakraborti D (1995) Arsenic in groundwater in six districts of West Bengal India: the biggest arsenic calamity in the world. Part I. Arsenic species in drinking water and urine of the affected people. Analyst 120:643–650

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Chowdhury UK, Rahman MM, Mandal BK, Paul K, Lodh D, Biswas BK et al (2001) Groundwater arsenic contamination and human suffering in West Bengal—India and Bangladesh. Environ Sci 8:393–415

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Jain CK, Ali I (2000) Arsenic: occurrence toxicity and speciation techniques. Water Res 34:4304–4312

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Mandal BK, Suzuki KT (2002) Arsenic round the world: a review. Talanta 58:201–235

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Ng JC, Wang J, Shraim A (2003) A global health problem caused by arsenic from natural sources. Chemosphere 52:1353–1359

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ahmad T, Kahlown MA, Tahir A, Rashid H (2004) Arsenic an emerging issue experiences from Pakistan 30th WEDC international conference Vientiane Lao PDR. Public Health National Institute of Preventive and Social

  9. Arain MB, Kazi TG, Jamali MK, Afridi HI, Jalbani N, Shah A (2008) Total dissolved and bioavailable elements in water and sediment samples and their accumulation in Oreochromis mossambicus of polluted Manchar Lake. Chemosphere 70:1845–1856

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Gleyzes C, Tellier S, Sabrier R, Astruc M (2001) Arsenic characterization in industrial soils by chemical extractions. Environ Technol 22:27–38

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Fazal MA, Kawachi T, Ichion E (2001) Extent and severity of groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh. Water Int 26:370–379

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Uddin MM, Harun-Ar-Rashid AKM, Hossain SM, Hafiz MA, Nahar K, Mubin SH (2006) Slow arsenic poisoning of the contaminated groundwater users. Int J Environ Sci Technol 3:447–453

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Jiang JQ (2001) Removing arsenic from groundwater for the developing world—a review. Water Sci Technol 44:89–98

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kahlown MA, Majeed A, Tahir MA (2002) Water quality status in Pakistan. Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of Pakistan, Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, Pakistan

    Google Scholar 

  15. Tahir MA (2000) Report on arsenic in groundwater of Attock and Rawalpindi Districts. Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of Pakistan, Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), Pakistan

    Google Scholar 

  16. Nickson RT, McArthur JM, Shrestha B, Kyaw-Myint TO, Lowry D (2005) Arsenic and other drinking water quality issues, Muzaffargarh District, Pakistan. Appl Geochem 20:55–68

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Farooqi A, Masuda H, Firdous N (2007) Toxic fluoride and arsenic contaminated groundwater in the Lahore and Kasur districts, Punjab, Pakistan and possible contaminant sources. J Environ Pollut 145:839–849

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Kazi TG, Arain MB, Baig JA, Jamali MK, Afridi HI, Jalbani N, Sarfraz RA, Niaz A (2009) The correlation of arsenic levels in drinking water with the biological samples of skin disorders. Sci Total Environ 407:1019–1026

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Fatmi Z, Azam I, Ahmed F, Kazi A, Gill AB, Kadir MM, Ahmed M, Ara N, Janjua NZ, Core Group for Arsenic Mitigation in Pakistan (2009) Health burden of skin lesions at low arsenic exposure through groundwater in Pakistan. Is river the source? Environ Res 109:575–581

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Baig JA, Kazi TG, Shah AQ, Kandhro GA, Afridi HI, Arain MB, Jamali MK, Jalbani N (2010) Speciation and evaluation of arsenic in surface and ground water samples: a multivariate case study. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 73:914–923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Baig JA, Kazi TG, Shah AQ, Kandhro GA, Afridi HI, Khan S, Kolachi NF (2010) Biosorption studies on powder of stem of Acacia nilotica: removal of arsenic from surface water. J Hazard Mater 178:941–948

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Arain MB, Kazi TG, Baig JA, Jamali MK, Afridi HI, Jalbani N, Sarfraz RA, Shah AQ, Kandhro GA (2009) Respiratory effects in people exposed to arsenic via the drinking water and tobacco smoking in southern part of Pakistan. Sci Total Environ 407:5524–5530

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Milton AH, Hasan Z, Rahman Z, Rahman M (2001) Chronic arsenic poisoning and respiratory effects in Bangladesh. J Occup Health 43:136–140

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kazi TG, Baig JA, Shah AQ, Arain MB, Kandhro GA, Jamali MK, Afridi HI, Kolachi NF, Khan S, Wadhwa SK, Shah F (2011) Determination of arsenic in scalp hair of children and its correlation with drinking water in exposed areas of Sindh Pakistan. Biol Trace Elem Res 143:153–162

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Nielsen FH (2001) Trace minerals. In: Shills M, Olson J, Shike M, Ross AC (eds) Nutrition in health and sickness, 9th edn. McGraw-Hill, Mexico City, pp 328–331

    Google Scholar 

  26. Elci L, Divrikli U, Soylak M (2008) Inorganic arsenic speciation in various water samples with GFAAS using coprecipitation. Int J Environ Ana Chem 88:711–723

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Tuzen M, Citak D, Mendil D et al (2009) Arsenic speciation in natural water samples by coprecipitation-hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry combination. Talanta 78:52–56

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Tuzen M, Saygi KO, Karaman I et al (2010) Selective speciation and determination of inorganic arsenic in water, food and biological samples. Food Chem Toxicol 48:41–46

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Uluozlu OD, Tuzen M, Mendil D et al (2010) Determination of As(III) and As(V) species in some natural water and food samples by solid-phase extraction on Streptococcus pyogenes immobilized on Sepabeads SP 70 and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. Food Chem Toxicol 48:1393–1398

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Zhang L, Morita Y, Yoshikawa K, Isozaki A (2007) Direct simultaneous determination for ultratrace As, Se and Sb in river water with graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry by TiO2-slurry sampling. Anal Sci 23:365–369

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Brima EI, Harris PI, Jenkins RO, Polya DA, Gault AG, Harrington CF (2006) Understanding arsenic metabolism through a comparative study of arsenic levels in the urine, hair and fingernails of healthy volunteers from three unexposed ethnic groups in the United Kingdom. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 216:122–130

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Sampson ML, Bostick B, Chiewp H, Hagan JM, Shantz A (2008) Arsenicosis in Cambodia: case studies and policy response. Appl Geochem 23:2977–2986

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Byrne S, Amarasiriwardena D, Bandak B, Bartkus L, Kane J, Jones J, Yanez J, Arriaza B, Byrne LCS, Cornejo L (2010) Were Chinchorros exposed to arsenic? Arsenic determination in Chinchorro mummies’ hair by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). J Microchem 94:28–35

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Beane FLE, Dennis LK, Lynch CF, Thorne PS, Just CL (2004) Toenail arsenic content and cutaneous melanoma in Iowa. Am J Epidemiol 160:679–687

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Karagas MR, Tosteson TD, Morris SJ, Demidenko E, Mott LA, Heaney J et al (2004) Incidence of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and arsenic exposure in New Hampshire. Cancer Causes Control 15:465–472

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Arain MB, Kazi TG, Baig JA, Jamali MK, Afridi HI, Shah AQ, Jalbani N, Sarfraz RA (2009) Determination of arsenic levels in lake water, sediment, and foodstuff from selected area of Sindh, Pakistan: estimation of daily dietary intake. Food Chem Toxicol l47:242–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Baig JA, Kazi TG, Shah AQ, Kandhro GA, Afridi HI, Arain MB, Jamali MK, Jalbani N (2010) Speciation and evaluation of arsenic in surface water and ground water samples: a multivariate case study. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 73:914–923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Brahman KD, Kazi TG, Afridi HI, Naseem S, Arain SS, Ullah N (2013) Evaluation of high levels of fluoride, arsenic species and other physicochemical parameters in underground water of two sub districts of Tharparkar, Pakistan: a multivariate study. Water Res 47:1005–1020

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. EPA (1995) Method 3015 microwave assisted acid digestion of aqueous sample and extracts. In: Test methods for evaluating solid waste, 3rd edn, 3rd update. US EPA, Washington

  40. USEPA (1998) Integrated risk information system: arsenic, inorganic. CASRN 7440-38-2

  41. WWF Pakistan (2007) Pakistan’s water at risk, water and health related issues and key recommendations. Freshwater & Toxics Programme, Communications Division, WWF Pakistan

  42. Flanagan SV, Johnston RB, Zheng Y (2012) Arsenic in tube well water in Bangladesh: health and economic impacts and implications for arsenic mitigation. Bull World Health Organ 90:839–846

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  43. Smedley PL, Kinniburgh DG (2002) A review of the source, behavior and distribution of arsenic in natural waters. Appl Geochem 17:517–568

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Smith AH, Lopipero PA, Bates MN, Steinmaus CM (2002) Arsenic epidemiology and drinking water standards. Science 296:2145–2146

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Maity S, Chakravarty S, Thakur P, Gupta KK, Bhattacharjee S, Roy BC (2004) Evaluation and standardisation of a simple HG-AAS method for rapid speciation of As(III) and As(V) in some contaminated groundwater samples of West Bengal, India. Chemosphere 54:1199–1206

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Smedley PL, Nicolli HB, Macdonald DMJ, Barros AJ, Tullio JO (2002) Hydrogeochemistry of arsenic and other inorganic constituents in ground water from La Pampa, Argentina. Appl Geochem 17:259–284

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Singh AK (2006) Chemistry of arsenic in groundwater of Gangese–Brahmaputra river basin. Curr Sci 91:599–606

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Thornton I, Farago M (1997) The geochemistry of arsenic. In: Abernathy CO, Calderon RL, Chappell WR (eds) Arsenic: exposure and health effects. Chapman and Hall, Kluwer Academic, London, pp 1–16

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  49. Hindmarsh JT (2002) Caveats in hair analysis in chronic arsenic poisoning. Clin Biochem 35:1–11

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Arnold HL, Odam RB, James WD (1990) Disease of the skin: clinical dermatology. Saunders, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  51. Baig JA, Kazi TG, Shah AQ, Arain MB, Afridi HI, Kandhro GA, Khan S (2009) Optimization of cloud point extraction and solid phase extraction methods for speciation of arsenic in natural water using multivariate technique. Anal Chim Acta 651:57–63

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Hayakawa T, Kobayashi Y, Cui X, Hirano S (2005) A new metabolic pathway of arsenite: arsenic–glutathione complexes are substrates for human arsenic methyltransferase Cyt19. Arch Toxicol 79:183–191

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Tseng CH, Huang YK, Huang YL, Chung CJ, Yang MH, Chen CJ, Hsueh YM (2005) Arsenic exposure, urinary arsenic speciation, and peripheral vascular disease in black foot disease-hyperendemic villages in Taiwan. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 206:299–308

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Steinmaus C, Bates MN, Yuan Y, Kalman D, Atallah R, Rey OA, Biggs ML, Hopenhayn C, Moore LE, Hoang BK, Smith AH (2006) Arsenic methylation and bladder cancer risk in case–control studies in Argentina and the United States. J Occup Environ Med 48:478–488

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Huang YK, Tseng CH, Huang YL, Yang MH, Chen CJ, Hsueh YM (2007) Arsenic methylation capability and hypertension risk in subjects living in arseniasis-hyperendemic areas in southwestern Taiwan. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 218:135–142

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Anawar HM, Akaib J, Mostofa KMG, Safiullah S, Tareq SM (2002) Arsenic poisoning in groundwater: health risk and geochemical sources in Bangladesh. Environ Int 27:597–604

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Meacher DM, Menzel DB, Dillencourt MD, Bic LF, Schoof RA, Yost LJ, Eickhoff JC, Farr CH (2002) Estimation of multimedia inorganic arsenic intake in the U.S. population. Hum Ecol Risk Assess 8:1697–1721

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Moschandreas DJ, Karuchit S, Berry MR, O’Rourke MK, Lo D, Lebowitz MD, Robertson G (2002) Exposure apportionment: ranking food items by their contribution to dietary exposure. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol 12:233–243

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. ATSDR (2000) Toxicology profile for arsenic. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, US Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, TP-92/02

    Google Scholar 

  60. WHO (2004) Guidelines for drinking-water quality, 3rd edn. WHO, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  61. Yoshida T, Yamauchi H, Fan SG (2004) Chronic health effects in people exposed to arsenic via the drinking water: dose–response relationships in review. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 198:243–252

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Kapaj S, Peterson H, Liber K, Bhattacharya P (2006) Human health effects from chronic arsenic poisoning—a review. J Environ Sci Health Part A: Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng 41:2399–2428

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Mukherjee SC, Saha KC, Pati S, Dutta RN, Rahman MM, Sengupta MK, Ahmed S, Lodh D, Das B, Hossain MA, Nayak B, Mukherjee A, Chakraborti D, Dulta SK, Palit SK, Kaies I, Barua AK, Asad KA (2005) Murshidabad—one of the nine groundwater arsenic-affected districts of West Bengal, India. Part II: dermatological, neurological, and obstetric findings. Clin Toxicol 43:835–848

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. Guo X, Fujino Y, Kaneko S, Wu K, Xia Y, Yoshimura T (2001) Arsenic contamination of groundwater and prevalence of arsenical dermatosis in the Hetao plain area, Inner Mongolia China. Mol Cell Biochem 222:137–140

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Smith AH, Lingas EO, Rahman M (2000) Contamination of drinking-water by arsenic in Bangladesh: a public health emergency. Bull WHO 78:1093–1103

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  66. Smith AH, Arroyo AP, Msazumder DNG, Konsnett MJ, Hernandez AL, Beeris M et al (2000) Arsenic-induced skin lesions among Atacameno people in Northern Chile despite good nutrition and centuries of exposure. Environ Health Perspect 108:617–620

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  67. Khan AW, Ahmad SKA (1997) Arsenic in drinking water: health effects and management, a training manual. Department of Occupational and Public Health National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  68. Brahman KD, Kazi TG, Afridi HI, Naseem S, Arain SS, Wadhwa SK, Shah F (2013) Simultaneously evaluate the toxic levels of fluoride and arsenic species in underground water of Tharparkar and possible contaminant sources: a multivariate study. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 89:95–107

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. Brahman KD, Kazi TG, Afridi HI, Rafique T, Baig JA, Arain SS, Ullah N, Panhwar AH, Arain S (2014) Evaluation of fresh and stored rainwater quality in fluoride and arsenic endemic area of Thar Desert, Pakistan. Environ Monit Assess 186:8611–8628

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  70. Brahman KD, Kazi TG, Baig JA, Afridi HI, Khan A, Arain SS, Arain MB (2014) Fluoride and arsenic exposure through water and grain crops in Nagarparkar, Pakistan. Chemosphere 100:182–189

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  71. Sari A, Tuzen M (2010) Biosorption of As(III) and As(V) from aqueous solution by lichen (Xanthoria parietina) biomass. Sep Sci Technol 45(4):463–471

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Center of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, 76080, Pakistan

    Kapil Dev Brahman, Tasneem Gul Kazi, Hassan Imran Afridi, Sadaf Sadia Arain, Farah Naz Talpur, Jameel Ahmed Baig, Abdul Haleem Panhwar, Mariam Shezadi Arain, Jamshed Ali &  Naeemullah

  2. Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, 76080, Pakistan

    Atif Gul Kazi

  3. Chemistry Department, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

    Mohammad Balal Arain

Authors
  1. Kapil Dev Brahman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tasneem Gul Kazi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hassan Imran Afridi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sadaf Sadia Arain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Atif Gul Kazi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Farah Naz Talpur
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jameel Ahmed Baig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Abdul Haleem Panhwar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Mariam Shezadi Arain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Jamshed Ali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Mohammad Balal Arain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Naeemullah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hassan Imran Afridi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Brahman, K.D., Kazi, T.G., Afridi, H.I. et al. Toxic Risk Assessment of Arsenic in Males Through Drinking Water in Tharparkar Region of Sindh, Pakistan. Biol Trace Elem Res 172, 61–71 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-015-0567-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-015-0567-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation