Groundwater Arsenic Contamination and Its Health Impacts in Tando Muhammad Khan District, Sindh, Pakistan

Year 2021, Volume: 3 Issue: 3, 263 - 272, 15.07.2021

Adnan Khan Viqar Husaın

Abstract

Present study is aimed at correlation of clinical manifestations on skin with drinking high arsenic groundwater in Tando Muhammad Khan district. A section of population is reported to be afflicted by arsenic ranging between mild to severe arsenicosis. Arsenic poisoning through skin manifestations are observed mainly in rural parts of study area. Some other clinical manifestations such as weakness, muscles cramps and gastrointestinal problems like hepatitis and stomach disorder were also observed. Total 37 sites in the whole district have been reported for the occurrence of gastroenteritis and skin related diseases out of which Taluka Tando Muhammad Khan has been found worst affected by arsenicosis. The confounder of health effects was high arsenic contents in drinking water. Some cases of hyper pigmentation and diffused melanosis were observed in Baqar Nizamani Goth of Taluka Tando Muhammad Khan. Moreover, the dominant class suffering with stomach disorder and skin irritation problem is children while next class belongs to youngsters (20-25 years old). Clinical manifestation of exposed subjects revealed keratosis development in palm and soles of both adult and children. Similarly, few cases were also suspected for black foot disease. It is concluded that residents of study area are severely affected by arsenicosis due to drinking high arsenic groundwater (10-600 ppb). Hence, a detailed study is needed to establish the clinical correlation of skin manifestations with drinking high arsenic water leading to cause cancer.

Keywords

Groundwater, Arsenic, Skin diseases, Cancer, Indus deltaic plain

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