title: Current status of arsenic exposure and social implication in the Mekong River basin of Cambodia.
abstract: To evaluate the current status of arsenic exposure in the Mekong River basin of Cambodia, field interview along with urine sample collection was conducted in the arsenic-affected area of Kandal Province, Cambodia. Urine samples were analyzed for total arsenic concentrations by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. As a result, arsenicosis patients (n = 127) had As in urine (UAs) ranging from 3.76 to 373 µg L(-1) (mean = 78.7 ± 69.8 µg L(-1); median = 60.2 µg L(-1)). Asymptomatic villagers (n = 108) had UAs ranging from 5.93 to 312 µg L(-1) (mean = 73.0 ± 52.2 µg L(-1); median = 60.5 µg L(-1)). About 24.7 % of all participants had UAs greater than 100 µg L(-1) which indicated a recent arsenic exposure. A survey found that females and adults were more likely to be diagnosed with skin sign of arsenicosis than males and children, respectively. Education level, age, gender, groundwater drinking period, residence time in the village and amount of water drunk per day may influence the incidence of skin signs of arsenicosis. This study suggests that residents in Kandal study area are currently at risk of arsenic although some mitigation has been implemented. More commitment should be made to address this public health concern in rural Cambodia.
authors: Faculty of Science and Technology, International University, Phnom Penh, 12101, Cambodia. kongkeaphan@gmail.com.|Research and Development Unit, Cambodian Chemical Society, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. kongkeaphan@gmail.com.
authors: Kongkea
authors: K
authors: Phan
authors: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 500-712, Republic of Korea.
authors: Kyoung-Woong
authors: KW
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, 12358, Cambodia.
authors: Laingshun
authors: L
authors: Huoy
authors: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, 12358, Cambodia.
authors: Samrach
authors: S
authors: Phan
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Technology, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
authors: Soknim
authors: S
authors: Se
authors: United Nations University-International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH), UKM Medical Centre, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Anthony Guy
authors: AG
authors: Capon
authors: United Nations University-International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH), UKM Medical Centre, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|Department of Community Health, UKM Medical Centre, National University of Malaysia, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Jamal Hisham
authors: JH
authors: Hashim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001151:Arsenic / Q000652:urine*; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002160:Cambodia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D060766:Drinking Water; D005260:Female; D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000506:poisoning
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Arsenic; Arsenicosis patient; Asymptomatic villager; Cambodia; Social implication; Urine