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. 2023 Feb 16:11:998511.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.998511. eCollection 2023.

Arsenic in drinking water, hair, and prevalence of arsenicosis in Perak, Malaysia

Nurfatehar Ramly  1   2 , Husna Maizura Ahmad Mahir  3 , Wan Nurul Farah Wan Azmi  1 , Zailina Hashim  4 , Jamal Hisham Hashim  5 , Rafiza Shaharudin  1
Affiliations

Arsenic in drinking water, hair, and prevalence of arsenicosis in Perak, Malaysia

Nurfatehar Ramly et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Arsenic is a carcinogen element that occurs naturally in our environment. Humans can be exposed to arsenic through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption. However, the most significant exposure pathway is via oral ingestion. Therefore, a comparative cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the local arsenic concentration in drinking water and hair. Then, the prevalence of arsenicosis was evaluated to assess the presence of the disease in the community. The study was conducted in two villages, namely Village AG and Village P, in Perak, Malaysia. Socio-demographic data, water consumption patterns, medical history, and signs and symptoms of arsenic poisoning were obtained using questionnaires. In addition, physical examinations by medical doctors were performed to confirm the signs reported by the respondents. A total of 395 drinking water samples and 639 hair samples were collected from both villages. The samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine arsenic concentration. The results showed that 41% of water samples from Village AG contained arsenic concentrations of more than 0.01 mg/L. In contrast, none of the water samples from Village P exceeded this level. Whilst, for hair samples, 85 (13.5%) of total respondents had arsenic levels above 1 μg/g. A total of 18 respondents in Village AG had at least one sign of arsenicosis and hair arsenic levels of more than 1 μg/g. Factors significantly associated with increased arsenic levels in hair were female, increasing age, living in Village AG and smoking. The prevalence of arsenicosis in the exposed village indicates chronic arsenic exposure, and immediate mitigation action needs to be taken to ensure the wellbeing of the residents in the exposed village.

Keywords: arsenic poisoning; carcinogens; hair; mass spectrometry; prevalence; water.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Map of Gerik in the State of Perak, Malaysia, where village AG and village P are located.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Arsenic concentration in drinking water for village P and village AG based on NDWQS guideline of 0.01 mg/L.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Arsenic concentration in hair for village P and village AG based on a guideline of 1.0 μg/g. *outlier.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Hyperpigmentation on the respondent's stomach.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Hyperkeratosis on respondent's foot.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Hypermelanosis on the respondent's abdomen.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Ministry of Health Malaysia under research grant NMRR:18-391-40698.