Ogata Tsuyoshi, Nakamura Yosikazu, Endo Ginji, Hayashi Tomoshige, Honda Yasushi
Chikusei Public Health Center, Government of Ibaraki Prefecture.
Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi. 2014;61(9):556-64.
An outbreak of neurological health disorder caused by drinking well water occurred in 2003 at one apartment building in Kamisu, Ibaraki, Japan. This was the first case of mass poisoning due to well water contaminated with diphenylarsinic acid (DPAA). Subsequently, other residents in Kamisu were confirmed to have drunk well water containing lower concentrations of DPAA. The present study aimed to investigate neurological and other subjective symptoms and miscarriage occurrences after DPAA exposure.
Subjects were residents of Kamisu aged 10-65 years in 2004. Twenty residents (high-level exposure group) had lived in the apartment building and drunk well water containing DPAA at arsenic concentrations of 2,262 μg/L. The moderate/low-level exposure group (67 residents) had drunk other well water containing DPAA at arsenic concentrations of 2-230 μg/L (mean: 85 μg/L) and DPAA was detected in their hair or nails. A control group (134 residents), matched to the latter group by sex and age, had only drunk tap water. Public health nurses completed a questionnaire on symptoms, pregnancy, and miscarriage through interviews.
Dizziness, unsteadiness, dysesthesia, writing disturbance, diplopia, insomnia, melancholy, headache, itchiness, weight change, diarrhea, cough, and dyspnea were significantly higher in the moderate/low-level exposure group than in the control group. A similar tendency was found in the high-level exposure group. From 1999 through 2003, no miscarriages occurred among 15 pregnancies in the control group, while three miscarriages occurred among five pregnancies in the moderate/low-level group.
DPAA exposure via well water caused miscarriage, in addition to neurological and other subjective symptoms.
2003年，日本茨城县鹿岛市的一栋公寓楼发生了因饮用井水导致的神经健康障碍疫情。这是首例因井水被二苯基胂酸（DPAA）污染而导致的大规模中毒事件。随后，鹿岛市的其他居民被证实饮用了含有较低浓度DPAA的井水。本研究旨在调查DPAA暴露后出现的神经及其他主观症状以及流产情况。
研究对象为2004年时年龄在10至65岁之间的鹿岛市居民。20名居民（高暴露组）居住在该公寓楼，饮用了砷浓度为2262μg/L的含DPAA井水。中/低暴露组（67名居民）饮用了砷浓度为2至230μg/L（平均85μg/L）的其他含DPAA井水，且在他们的头发或指甲中检测到了DPAA。对照组（134名居民）在性别和年龄上与后一组匹配，仅饮用自来水。公共卫生护士通过访谈完成了一份关于症状、妊娠和流产的问卷。
中/低暴露组出现头晕、步态不稳、感觉异常、书写障碍、复视、失眠、忧郁、头痛、瘙痒、体重变化、腹泻、咳嗽和呼吸困难的情况显著高于对照组。高暴露组也发现了类似趋势。1999年至2003年期间，对照组15次妊娠中未发生流产，而中/低暴露组5次妊娠中有3次流产。
通过井水接触DPAA除了会导致神经及其他主观症状外，还会引起流产。
