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Human health risk assessment for ingestion exposure to groundwater contaminated by naturally occurring mixtures of toxic heavy metals in the Lao PDR

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Abstract

This study constitutes the first systematic risk assessment in the Lao PDR of the safety of groundwater for consumption. Groundwater and hair samples were collected from seven Lao provinces to determine the quantitative health impact of heavy metals through ingestion exposure. Contamination levels for arsenic (As; 46.0 %) and barium (Ba; 16.2 %) exceeded World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, especially in Mekong River floodplains. A USEPA assessment model for health risks from daily groundwater ingestion, with adjustments for local water consumption values, was applied to estimate the size of the population at risk for noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic health problems. As was the only element contributing to noncarcinogenic health risks in all contaminated areas. The populations of Bolikhamxai, Savannakhet, Saravane, Champasak, and Attapeu, moreover, were at risks of cancer. In addition to the As groundwater concentration factor, noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks were positively correlated with the average daily dose of As, exposure duration, and subject body weight. The level of As in hair correlated with groundwater consumption and average daily dose of As. 25.5 % of the population (n = 228) showed As levels in hair above the toxicity level.

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Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by the International Environmental Analysis and Education Center (formerly known as the International Environmental Research Center (IERC)), the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, and Dong-A University, Republic of Korea. The authors wish to deliver their appreciation to Dr. Kitirote Wantala of the Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University (Thailand), Mr. Piyanat Sawat-aue of the School of Energy, Environment and Materials, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (Thailand), and Ms. Pham Thi Diem Phuong of Ho Chi Minh University of Technology (Vietnam) for their laboratory assistance, as well as to Ms. Doungkamon Phihusut of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (Republic of Korea) for her assistance in groundwater collection. Dennis McDermott, PhD assisted with the English editing of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Penradee Chanpiwat

  2. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 261 Cheomdan-gwagiro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, 500-712, Republic of Korea

    Byung-Tae Lee & Kyoung-Woong Kim

  3. Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Dong-A University, 37 Nakdong-Daero 550 Beon-gil Saha-gu, Busan, 604-714, Republic of Korea

    Suthipong Sthiannopkao

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  1. Penradee Chanpiwat
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  2. Byung-Tae Lee
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Correspondence to Suthipong Sthiannopkao.

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Information on funding sources and research ethical agreement in human subjects

The ethical agreement pertaining to use of human subjects was approved by the Ministry of Health, Lao PDR (no. 836/NCHWS).

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Chanpiwat, P., Lee, BT., Kim, KW. et al. Human health risk assessment for ingestion exposure to groundwater contaminated by naturally occurring mixtures of toxic heavy metals in the Lao PDR. Environ Monit Assess 186, 4905–4923 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-3747-0

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