Statistical analysis of causes of death (2005-2010) in villages of Simav Plain, Turkey, with high arsenic levels in drinking water supplies.
The purpose of this research was to compare the causes of death in 5 villages situated in Simav Plain, Turkey, during 2005-2010 where different arsenic levels were detected in drinking water supplies. Since groundwater in Simav Plain had arsenic concentrations that ranged between 7.1 and 833.9 ppb, a two-phase research was formulated. In the first phase, public health surveys were conducted with 1,003 villagers to determine the distribution of diseases. In the second phase, verbal autopsy surveys and official death records were used to investigate the causes of death. In total, 402 death cases were found in the study area where cardiovascular system diseases (44%) and cancers (15.2%) were major causes. Cancers of lung (44.3%), prostate (9.8%), colon (9.8%), and stomach (8.2%) were comparably higher in villages with high arsenic levels in drinking water supplies. Furthermore, the majority of cases of liver, bladder, and stomach cancers were observed in villages with high arsenic levels.
a Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering , Dokuz Eylul University , Izmir , Turkey.
Orhan
O
Gunduz
Coskun
C
Bakar
Celalettin
C
Simsek
Alper
A
Baba
Alper
A
Elci
Hakan
H
Gurleyuk
Merdiye
M
Mutlu
Ayse
A
Cakir
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000401:mortality*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000032:analysis; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
D060766:Drinking Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001151:Arsenic
Simav; Turkey; arsenic; groundwater; public health; verbal autopsy