96% of Well Water is Undrinkable
Arsenic Concentration Found as high as 1.088 ppm
by Guo Xiao-juan, Assistant Professor in the Institute for Control
and Treatment of Endemic Diseases in Inner Mongolia A.R.
Since the first patient was diagnosed as suffering from arsenic poisoning
in Inner Mongolian A. R. of China in 1990, new affected areas and people
have been found one after another. In order to grasp the actual situation
of arsenic contamination and to collect information necessary for future
measures, it is indispensable to carry out field surveys. However, the
vast areas of contamination and financial difficulties of local government
had prevented it so far. Fortunately, the Asia Arsenic Network (AAN) was
successful in receiving financial aid from the Japan Fund for the Global
Environment for the fiscal year 1996. Accordingly, a joint sur-vey team
was organized by AAN experts and members of the Institute for Control and
Treatment of Endemic Disease in Inner Mongolia, and carried out field surveys
in 15 villages of 3 counties between August and December, 1996.
Both the environment and health damage were surveyed, and for the latter
the team examined the residents for internal, dermatological, neurological
and clinical tests. The team also chek-ked the statistics of mortality
and causes of deaths. On behalf of the team, I would like to report some
results of the survey.
Most Wells Exceed Standard
Many of the arsenic affected areas are located in the arid region (with
the annual rainfall of 200-300 mm) of the Hetao Plain between the Yellow
River on the south and the Inshan Mountains on the north. The Gobi Desert
lies on the west. The surveys were made in the Bayinmaodao farm of Alashanzuo
county on the westem edge of the Hetao Plain and in the Haizhiyan district
of Wuyuan county which is known as a granary.
Arsenic was not found in the air and the arsenic level in the soil
was not in the range of concern during the environmen-tal survey. However,
arsenic concentrations in 96% of the tested well water exceeded 0.05ppm,
China's standard for arsenic in drinking water, with the highest of 1.08ppm
(Note: WHO's guideline is 0.01ppm). At the same time fluorine was found
in high concentrations. Mixed cases of arsenic poisoning and fluorosis
are therefore feared.
The Hetao region had been known as fertile farmland attracting immigration.
However, in recent years, there are desolate villages here and there since
the residents left having given up their houses and fields due to the prevailing
diseases such as cardiopathy, the disorder of circulatory organ, or cancer
Serious Arsenicosis
Many people seemed to have known the visit of Japanese doctors for medical
examinations. Everywhere, as soon as the survey team arrived, a crowd of
people rushed to see us. The 17 members of the team were so busy and short-handed
to conduct their tasks that I remembered a Japanese expression and murmured,
"I want to borrow a cat's paw".
During the health survey, 1,728 people including 126 of the control
group were examined for skin lesions. Among them, 612 people (35.42%; none
in the control group) showed skin lesi-ons related to arsenicosis such
as pigmentation, depigmentation, keratosis, or skin cancer, on the abdomen,
palm, sole and the mucosa of the mouth cavity (Table 1).
Table
1: Results of Clinical Examinations
| Area |
No. of People Examined |
People with Symptoms |
| Total |
Male |
Female |
Total |
Male |
Female |
| Haizhiyan |
433 |
212 |
221 |
198 |
45.73% |
116 |
54.72% |
82 |
37.10% |
| Bayinmaodao |
1,169 |
602 |
567 |
414 |
35.41% |
220 |
36.54% |
194 |
34.22% |
| Control |
126 |
63 |
63 |
0 |
0.00% |
0 |
0.00% |
0 |
0.00% |
| Total |
1728 |
877 |
851 |
612 |
35.42% |
336 |
38.31% |
276 |
32.43% |
Observations were also made through the ultrasonography and electrocardiogram,
and peri-pheral circulatory organs were tested along with blood and urine.
Among the arsenicosis patients we often find disorders of the digestive
organ such as stomach ache or diarrhea. The ultrasonography and blood tests,
however, found 136 cases of hepatomegaly, 91 of hepatic abnormality, 2
each of hardening of the liver and abdominal dropsy, 5 of renal trouble
and 3 of splenomegaly. Thus, we confirmed that arsenic affects the internal
organs of many systems.
As for circulatory disorder, it is noteworthy that the morbid change
of the myocardium was seen among young people under 40's (50 cases) and
also there were many cases of peripheral circulatory disorder (Table 2).
Table 2: Examinations of Peripheral Circulatory System
| Area |
No. of People Examined |
No Symptoms |
People with Symptoms |
| Total |
Male |
Female |
Total |
Male |
Female |
| Haizhiyan |
312 |
164 |
148 |
26 |
8.33% |
286 |
91.67% |
151 |
92.97% |
135 |
91.22% |
| Bayinmaodao |
244 |
124 |
120 |
42 |
17.21% |
202 |
82.79% |
109 |
87.90% |
93 |
77.50% |
| Total |
556 |
288 |
268 |
68 |
12.23% |
488 |
87.77% |
260 |
90.28% |
228 |
85.07% |
The cause has not been identified, and it is relevant to study whether,
and to what extent, arsenic is related to those symptoms.
High Mortality Rate
When the survey team visited arsenic contaminated villages, we often heard
people saying, "The mortality rate is high here", or "Many people are suffering
from cancer in this village". During the survey, two cases each of Bowen's
disease and stomach cancer were confirmed by pathological diagnosis.
In
the arsenic affected Shengli village of the Haizhiyan district of Wuyuan
county, 40 people passed away during the 11 years from 1986 to 1996 in
the sixth, seventh and twelfth hamlets. (Villages consist of hamlets, each
hamlet containing around 200-300 people). Among the 40 deaths, 15 were
due to cancers. In contrast, however, in the second hamlet of the neighboring
Haifeng village where arsenic is not found in well water, there were only
two deaths during the past 11 years, and neither died of cancer (Table
3).
Table 3: Mortality Statistics in Haizhiyan over the past 11 years
| Year |
6th Hamlet of Shengli |
7th Hamlet of Shengli |
12th Hamlet of Shengli |
2nd Hamlet of Haifeng |
| Population |
Deaths |
Population |
Deaths |
Population |
Deaths |
Population |
Deaths |
| 1986 |
194 |
0 |
174 |
3 |
137 |
2 |
76 |
0 |
| 1987 |
195 |
1 |
174 |
1 |
137 |
2 |
76 |
0 |
| 1988 |
197 |
0 |
177 |
2 |
141 |
5 |
82 |
0 |
| 1989 |
198 |
0 |
179 |
0 |
139 |
1 |
87 |
0 |
| 1990 |
198 |
3 |
180 |
1 |
140 |
1 |
89 |
1 |
| 1991 |
199 |
0 |
180 |
1 |
144 |
1 |
90 |
0 |
| 1992 |
205 |
1 |
182 |
0 |
146 |
0 |
92 |
0 |
| 1993 |
206 |
0 |
183 |
2 |
148 |
0 |
93 |
0 |
| 1994 |
210 |
2 |
183 |
1 |
151 |
1 |
95 |
1 |
| 1995 |
216 |
2 |
181 |
1 |
155 |
1 |
106 |
0 |
| 1996 |
204 |
4 |
181 |
0 |
157 |
1 |
107 |
0 |
| 11-Year-Total |
|
13 |
|
12 |
|
15 |
|
2 |
Tears of Villagers
According to the various research reports compiled by the end of 1995,
arsenic contamination in Inner Mongolia spreads in 655 villages of 11 counties
and 1,774 patients were confirmed. In our survey during August to December
1996, 35.42% of the examined population showed skin lesions characteristic
of arsenic poisoning, confirming that there are arsenicosis patients everywhere
in the 15 villages surveyed. This is, however, an interim report of the
survey, and it is not intended to be a complete report of the Inner Mongolian
arsenic case.
The most urgent task now is to obtain sources of arsenic-free drinking
water for the affected villages. At the moment, those who are in charge
of the task on the Inner Mongolian side are seeking, together with the
AAN, practical and feasible solutions.
At the time of departure from villages, I often saw tears in the eyes
of villagers. It was a sign of hope as well as appreciation. The hope was
for the overcoming of arsenic poisoning and, hence, for survival. In their
quiet way of appealing, I felt a kind of revelation of nature and a cry
of the earth.
