title: Arsenic Exposure in Children through Drinking Water in Different Districts of Sindh, Pakistan.
abstract: A cross sectional study has been conducted during 2007-2010 for the assessment of arsenic (As) contamination in drinking water, and its impact on the health of local public belongs to five districts of Sindh, Pakistan. The toxic risk assessment of As in different areas of Sindh province based upon its concentration in drinking water and scalp hair of boys and girls of age group 5-10 and 11-15 years. The total and inorganic As species in drinking water samples of four districts Hyderabad, Sukkur, Naushehro Firoze, Nawab shah, and Dadu were determined by advance pre-concentration methodologies. The resulting data indicated that the dominant inorganic As species in municipal treated (Hyaderabad) and hand pumps (Sukkur, Naushehro Firoze, Nawab shah and Dadu) water samples were arsenate (As(V)) and arsenite (As(III)), respectively. The total As concentrations in hand pumps water samples of Dadu district were 6.0- to 35-fold higher than the World Health Organization permissible limit of (10 μg/L) for drinking water. Whereas, total As in hand pump water samples of Sukkur, Naushehro Firoze, and Nawab shah were found in the range of 26.0-98.2, 18.0-50.6, and 52.3-85.2 μg/L, respectively. However, municipal treated water samples of Hyderabad were within recommended level (As <10 μg/L). The content of total As in children of both genders and age group belonging to Sukkur, Naushehro Firoze, Nawab shah, and Dadu was found to be significantly high as compared to those children residing in Hyderabad district. The Pearson coefficient of correlation r values between As levels in hand pump water and scalp hair samples of children belonging to Sukkur, Naushehro Firoze, Nawab shah, and Dadu were observed in the range of 0.65-0.75, 0.75-0.82, 0.80-0.90, and 0.95-0.98, respectively. The results of As toxicity risk assessment based on hazard quotient indicated that Dadu district has high carcinogenic exposure risk for children. Moreover, it is concluded that the children consuming groundwater of Sukkur, Naushehro Firoze, Nawab shah, and Dadu districts of Sindh, Pakistan were at risk of chronic As toxicity in future.
authors: National Center of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, 76080, Pakistan. jab_mughal@yahoo.com.
authors: Jameel Ahmed
authors: JA
authors: Baig
authors: National Center of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, 76080, Pakistan.
authors: Tasneem Gul
authors: TG
authors: Kazi
authors: PMRC Specialized Research Centre on Child Health, National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, 75500, Pakistan.
authors: Muhammad Ayaz
authors: MA
authors: Mustafa
authors: Dr. M. A. Kazi Institute of Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, 76080, Pakistan.
authors: Imam Bakhsh
authors: IB
authors: Solangi
authors: Paediatric Department, Peoples University Medical and Health Sciences, Nawabshah, Pakistan.
authors: Mirza Junaid
authors: MJ
authors: Mughal
authors: National Center of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, 76080, Pakistan.
authors: Hassan Imran
authors: HI
authors: Afridi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001149:Arsenates / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D001151:Arsenic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D018053:Arsenites / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan
chemical_list: D001149:Arsenates; D018053:Arsenites; D060766:Drinking Water; C015001:arsenite; D001151:Arsenic; C025657:arsenic acid
keywords: Arsenic toxicity; Children; Drinking water; Hazard quotient; Scalp hair