Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Arsenic determination in soils and hair from schools in past mining activity areas in Ron Phibun district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand and relationship between soil and hair arsenic

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Chemical Papers Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Arsenic (As) in soils and hair collected from schools in Ron Phibun district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand, where former tin mining operation were located, was determined by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The relationship between As content in soils and hair with distance from secured landfill was also investigated. Soil and hair samples were collected from 6 schools in summer (February) and rainy season (July). For soils, silt+clay (<45 µm) fraction and sand (45 µm–2 mm) fraction were analyzed. The average concentrations of arsenic in soils during summer (21.70 ± 16.79 mg/kg) and rainy season (22.45 ± 14.17 mg/kg) were at the same concentration level. The average arsenic content in hair samples was 2.24 ± 0.05 mg/kg in rainy season which was higher than 1.05 ± 0.04 mg/kg in summer. It was found that arsenic contents in hair and soils are correlated with the distance from the secured landfill. Most importantly, a positive relationship between arsenic content in hair and soil was obtained for rainy season, which indicated that arsenic in soil corresponded to arsenic in hair. The cancer risk from soils ranged from 4.48 × 10−7 to 2.06 × 10−6 indicating low carcinogenic risk to school children.

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

(Retrieved February 26, 2017 from http://www.google.com>maps)

Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agusa T, Kunito T, Fujihara J, Kubota R, Minh TB, Trang PTK, Iwata H, Subramanian A, Viet PH, Tanabe S (2006) Contamination by arsenic and other trace elements in tube-well water and its risk assessment to humans in Hanoi, Vietnam. Environ Pollut 139:95–106. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2005.04.033

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ATSDR (2007) Toxicological profile for arsenic. Atlanto, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp2.pdf

  • ATSDR (2011) ATSDR case studies in environmental medicine. Atlanto, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Retrieved May 25, 2016, from https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/arsenic/docs/arsenic.pdf

  • Díaz-Barriga F, Santos MA, Mejía JDJ, Batres L, Yánez L, Carrizales L, Vera E, Razo LMD, Cebrián ME (1993) Arsenic and cadmium exposure in children living near a smelter complex in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Environ Res 62:242–250. doi:10.1006/enrs.1993.1109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EPA (1992) Guidelines for Exposure Assessment. Federal Register. 57 (104), 22888–22938. US Environment Protection Agency

  • EPA (1996) Method 3050B: acid digestion of sediments, sludges, and soils, Revision 2. Cincinnati, OH: US Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved March 29, 2016, from https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-06/documents/epa-3050b.pdf

  • Essumang DK (2009) Levels of arsenic in human hair as biomarkers of arsenic exposure in a mining community in Ghana. Bull Chem Soc Ethiop 23:275–280. doi:10.4314/bcse.v23i2.44971

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Flores EMM, Silva LLC, Barin JS, Saidelles APF, Zanella R, Dressler VL, Paniz JNG (2001) Minimization of volatile nitrogen oxides interference in the determination of arsenic by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. Spectrochimica Acta Part B 56:1883–1891. doi:10.1016/S0584-8547(01)00335-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fordyce FM, Williams TM, Paijitprapapon A, Charoenchaisri P (1995) Hydrogeochemistry of arsenic in an area of chronic mining-related arsenism, Ron Phibun District, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand: Preliminary results. Technical report WC/94/79R, International Division, British Geological Survey, Nottingham, UK

  • Gebel TW, Suchenwirth RHR, Bolten C, Dunkelberg HH (1998) Human biomonitoring of arsenic and antimony in case of an elevated geogenic exposure. Environ Health Perspect 106:33-29 (PMID: 9417766)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones H, Visoottiviseth P, Bux MK, Földényi R, Kováts N, Borbély G, Galbács Z (2008) Case reports: Arsenic pollution in Thailand, Bangladesh, and Hungary. In: Whitacre DM (ed) Reviews of environmental contamination and toxicology. Springer, Berlin, pp 163–187

    Google Scholar 

  • Juansai N (2016) Monitoring of arsenic contamination in water in Ron Phibun district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province during 2013-2016 by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The Office of Primary Industries and Mines Region I Songkhla, Department of Primary Industries and Mines, Ministry of Industry, Thailand

  • Khoomrung S (2006) Analysis of total arsenic in soil and edible plant samples from Ron phibun sub-district, Nakorn Si Thammarat province by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Master thesis, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand

  • Liao YX, Chen BT, Xie H, Liu RY (2005) Soil As contamination and its risk assessment in areas near the industrial districts of Chenzhou City, Southern China. Environ Int 31:791–798. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2005.05.030

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miller JN, Miller JC (2005) Statistics and chemometrics for analytical chemistry, 5th edn. Pearson Prentice Hall, Harlow

    Google Scholar 

  • Mukaka MM (2012) Statistics corner: a guide to appropriate use of correlation coefficient in medical research. Malawi Med J 24:69–71 (PMID: 23638278)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Na Chiangmai N (1991) Arsenic concentration in water, vegetables, fruits and hair of Amphoe Ron Phibun, Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Songklanakarin J Sci Technol 13:59–67 (in Thai)

    Google Scholar 

  • Paijitprapapon A (1997) Investigation on arsenic cause and determination of arsenic distribution in Ron Phibun district, Nakorn Si Thammarat province. Department of Mineral Resources, Thailand (in Thai)

    Google Scholar 

  • Patrick DR (1994) Toxic air pollution handbook. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Pazirandeh A, Brati HA, Marageh GM (1998) Determination of arsenic in hair using neutron activation. Appl Radiat Isot 49:753–759. doi:10.1016/S0969-8043(97)00297-2

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Piamphongsant T, Udomnitikul P (1989). Arsenic levels in hair and nail samples of normal adolescents in Amphoe Ronpiboon. Bulletin of the Department of Medical Services, 14, 225–229. (in Thai)

  • Piñeiro MA, Piñeiro MJ, Rodriguez AE, Mahia LP (2013) Arsenic species determination in human scalp hair by pressurized hot water extraction and high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Talanta 105:422–428. doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2012.10.070

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saipan P, Ruangwises S (2010) Probabilistic risk assessment of cancer from exposure inorganic arsenic in duplicate food by villagers in Ronphibun, Thailand. EnvironmentAsia 3:54–58. doi:10.14456/ea.2010.24

    Google Scholar 

  • Samanta G, Chowdhury TR, Mandal BK, Biswas BK, Chowdhury UK, Basu JK, Chanda BC, Lodh D, Chakraborti D (1999) Flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry for determination of arsenic in water and biological samples from arsenic-affected districts of West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh. Microchem J 62:174–191. doi:10.1016/mchj.1999.1713

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Samanta G, Sharma R, Roychowdhury T, Chakraborti D (2004) Arsenic and other elements in hair, nails, and skin-scales of arsenic victims in West Bengal, India. Sci Total Environ 326:33–47. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2003.12.006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma AK, Tjell JC, Sloth JJ, Holm PE (2014) Review of arsenic contamination, exposure through water and food and low cost mitigation options for rural areas. Appl Geochem 41:11–33. doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2013.11.012

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sthiannopkao S, Kim KW, Cho KH, Wantala K, Sotham S, Sokuntheara C, Kim JH (2010) Arsenic levels in human hair, Kandal Province, Cambodia: the influences of groundwater arsenic, consumption period, age and gender. Appl Geochem 25:81–90. doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2009.10.003

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tehman T, Suksaroj TT (2014) Health risks of arsenic exposure via shallow well water use in Ron Phi Bul, southern Thailand. In: Proceedings of the fifth The IIER-SCIENCE PLUS International Conference, November 8, 2014 (ISBN: 978-93-84209-62-9, pp. 25–27). Singapore

  • Visoottiviseth P, Francesconi K, Sridokchan W (2002) The potential of Thai indigenous plant species for the phytoremediation of arsenic contaminated land. Environ Pollut 118:453–461. doi:10.1016/S0269-7491(01)00293-7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vitayavirasak B, Rakwong K, Chatchawej W (2005) Environmental arsenic exposure of schoolchildren in a former tin mining and smelting community of Southern Thailand. Environ Sci 12:195–205 (PMID: 16184078)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walker M, Skelly J, McAdoo K (2009) Can arsenic in soil and water contaminate home-grown vegetables? Retrieved November 10, 2016, from https://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/ho/2009/fs0909.pdf

  • Weerasiri T, Wirojanagud W, Srisatit T (2013) Identifying arsenic pathway using electrical resistivity survey with GIS based flow modelling. Int J Electrochem Sci 8:12707–12718

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO (2001). Arsenic and Arsenic Compound. Environmental criteria 224, Geneva

  • WHO (2010) Water related diseases. Arsenicosis. Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/arsenicosis/en/print.html

  • Williams M, Fordyce F, Paijitprapapon A, Charoenchaisri P (1996) Arsenic contamination in surface drainage and groundwater in part of the south-east Asian tin belt, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, southern Thailand. Environ Geol 27:16–33. doi:10.1007/BF00770599

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Williams TM, Rawlins BG, Smith B, Breward N (1998) In-vitro determination of arsenic bioavailability in contaminated soil and mineral beneficiation waste from Ron Phibun, southern Thailand: a basis for improved human risk assessment. Environ Geochem Health 20:169–177. doi:10.1023/A:1006545817478

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu B, Chen T (2010) Changes in hair arsenic concentration in a population exposed to heavy pollution: follow-up investigation in Chenzhou City, Hunan Provinces, Southern China. J Environ Sci 22:283–289. doi:10.1016/S1001-0742(09)60106-6

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yàñez J, Fierro V, Mansilla H, Leonardo F, Cornejo L, Barnes RM (2005) Arsenic speciation in human hair: a new perspective for epidemiological assessment in chronic arsenicism. J Environ Monit 7:1335–1341. doi:10.1039/b506313b

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Adeloju SB (2008) Flow injection-hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometric determination of selenium, arsenic and bismuth. Talanta 76:724–730. doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2008.03.056

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Chen X, Parkpian P, Tabucanon MS, Mongkolsuk S (2001) GIS application on arsenic contamination and its risk assessment in Ronphibun, Nakhorn Si Thammarat, Thailand. Ann GIS 7:69–78. doi:10.1080/10824000109480557

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the Graduate School and the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University. The Office of Primary Industries and Mines Region I Songkhla, Department of Primary Industries and Mines, Ministry of Industry was acknowledged for instrumental support. We thank the Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry (PERCH-CIC), Office of the Higher Education Commission, Ministry of Education for partial support and Mr.Titilope J. Jayeoye for English assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand

    Thitima Rujiralai & Nucharee Juansai

  2. Analytical Chemistry and Environment Research Unit, Division of Chemistry, Department of Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani, 94000, Thailand

    Thitima Rujiralai & Wilairat Cheewasedtham

Authors
  1. Thitima Rujiralai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nucharee Juansai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Wilairat Cheewasedtham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thitima Rujiralai.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 8 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rujiralai, T., Juansai, N. & Cheewasedtham, W. Arsenic determination in soils and hair from schools in past mining activity areas in Ron Phibun district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand and relationship between soil and hair arsenic. Chem. Pap. 72, 381–391 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-017-0287-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-017-0287-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation