Multiple inorganic toxic substances contaminating the groundwater of Myingyan Township, Myanmar: arsenic, manganese, fluoride, iron, and uranium.
In South Asia, the technological and societal shift from drinking surface water to groundwater has resulted in a great reduction of acute diseases due to water borne pathogens. However, arsenic and other naturally occurring inorganic toxic substances present in groundwater in the region have been linked to a variety of chronic diseases, including cancers, heart disease, and neurological problems. Due to the highly specific symptoms of chronic arsenic poisoning, arsenic was the first inorganic toxic substance to be noticed at unsafe levels in the groundwater of West Bengal, India and Bangladesh. Subsequently, other inorganic toxic substances, including manganese, uranium, and fluoride have been found at unsafe levels in groundwater in South Asia. While numerous drinking water wells throughout Myanmar have been tested for arsenic, relatively little is known about the concentrations of other inorganic toxic substances in Myanmar groundwater. In this study, we analyzed samples from 18 drinking water wells (12 in Myingyan City and 6 in nearby Tha Pyay Thar Village) and 2 locations in the Ayeyarwaddy River for arsenic, boron, barium, beryllium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, fluoride, iron, mercury, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, antimony, selenium, thallium, uranium, vanadium, and zinc. Concentrations of arsenic, manganese, fluoride, iron, or uranium exceeded health-based reference values in most wells. In addition, any given well usually contained more than one toxic substance at unsafe concentrations. While water testing and well sharing could reduce health risks, none of the wells sampled provide water that is entirely safe with respect to inorganic toxic substances. It is imperative that users of these wells, and users of other wells that have not been tested for multiple inorganic toxic substances throughout the region, be informed of the need for drinking water testing and the health consequences of drinking water contaminated with inorganic toxic substances.
Better Life Laboratories, Calais, VT, USA.
Thomas
T
Bacquart
Better Life Laboratories, Calais, VT, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Norwich University, Northfield, VT, USA.
Seth
S
Frisbie
Better Life Laboratories, Calais, VT, USA.
Erika
E
Mitchell
Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Norwich University, Northfield, VT, USA.
Laurie
L
Grigg
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Norwich University, Northfield, VT, USA.
Christopher
C
Cole
Vermont Department of Health Laboratory, Burlington, VT, USA.
Colleen
C
Small
Department of Molecular Structure and Function, The Research Institute of The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: bsarkar@sickkids.ca.
Bibudhendra
B
Sarkar
D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry*; D007287:Inorganic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D008345:Manganese / Q000032:analysis; D002052:Myanmar; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D007287:Inorganic Chemicals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008345:Manganese; D014501:Uranium; D007501:Iron; D001151:Arsenic
Burma; Drinking water; Drinking water guidelines; Hydrogeology; South Asia; Trace metals