Uranium in well drinking water of Kabul, Afghanistan and its effective, low-cost depuration using Mg-Fe based hydrotalcite-like compounds.
Toxic elements in drinking water have great effects on human health. However, there is very limited information about toxic elements in drinking water in Afghanistan. In this study, levels of 10 elements (chromium, nickel, copper, arsenic, cadmium, antimony, barium, mercury, lead and uranium) in 227 well drinking water samples in Kabul, Afghanistan were examined for the first time. Chromium (in 0.9% of the 227 samples), arsenic (7.0%) and uranium (19.4%) exceeded the values in WHO health-based guidelines for drinking-water quality. Maximum chromium, arsenic and uranium levels in the water samples were 1.3-, 10.4- and 17.2-fold higher than the values in the guidelines, respectively. We next focused on uranium, which is the most seriously polluted element among the 10 elements. Mean ± SD (138.0 ± 1.4) of the238U/235U isotopic ratio in the water samples was in the range of previously reported ratios for natural source uranium. We then examined the effect of our originally developed magnesium (Mg)-iron (Fe)-based hydrotalcite-like compounds (MF-HT) on adsorption for uranium. All of the uranium-polluted well water samples from Kabul (mean ± SD = 190.4 ± 113.9 μg/L; n = 11) could be remediated up to 1.2 ± 1.7 μg/L by 1% weight of our MF-HT within 60 s at very low cost (<0.001 cents/day/family) in theory. Thus, we demonstrated not only elevated levels of some toxic elements including natural source uranium but also an effective depurative for uranium in well drinking water from Kabul. Since our depurative is effective for remediation of arsenic as shown in our previous studies, its practical use in Kabul may be encouraged.
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan; Units of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, Kasugai, Aichi 487-8501, Japan; Voluntary Body for International Healthcare in Universities, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan. Electronic address: katomasa@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
Masashi
M
Kato
General Directorate of Policy, Planning and International Relations, Ministry of Public Health, Kabul, Afghanistan.
Mohammad Daud
MD
Azimi
Administrative Office of the President, Deputy Public Relations and Outreach, Kabul, Afghanistan.
Said Hafizullah
SH
Fayaz
Department of Pathobiology and Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia.
Muhammad Dawood
MD
Shah
Department of Pathobiology and Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia.
Md Zahirul
MZ
Hoque
Department of Healthcare Administration, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
Nobuyuki
N
Hamajima
Voluntary Body for International Healthcare in Universities, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
Shoko
S
Ohnuma
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan; Voluntary Body for International Healthcare in Universities, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
Tomomi
T
Ohtsuka
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan; Voluntary Body for International Healthcare in Universities, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
Masao
M
Maeda
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan; Voluntary Body for International Healthcare in Universities, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
Masafumi
M
Yoshinaga
D000346:Afghanistan; D000536:Aluminum Hydroxide / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008274:Magnesium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008276:Magnesium Hydroxide / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010154:Pakistan; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D018508:Water Purification / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D060753:Water Quality; D014881:Water Supply; D060986:Water Wells
D060766:Drinking Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; C010467:hydrotalcite; D014501:Uranium; D000536:Aluminum Hydroxide; D007501:Iron; D008274:Magnesium; D001151:Arsenic; D008276:Magnesium Hydroxide
Afghanistan; Depuration; Uranium; Well drinking water