Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Jan;28(3):3617-3631. doi: 10.1007/s11356-020-10710-6. Epub 2020 Sep 14.
Arsenic (As) is a toxic metalloid that can cause significant health issues through drinking water. The present study was aimed to evaluate As distribution and the related health risks from drinking groundwater in rural areas of Hashtroud, Iran. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were also applied to better explain relationship pattern between different resources. The samples were taken from 51 locations in 37 villages. Arsenic concentration was determined by a polarograph device, and the corresponding carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks were calculated based on US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guideline. PCA analysis extracted four main components that explained nearly 62% of data variance. Results pointed severe As contamination in the studied area, where As was detected in 78% of the samples ranging from less than 0.001 to 0.250 mg/L. Forty percent of the contaminated places violated guideline value of 10 μg/L suggested by EPA and institute of standards and industrial research of Iran (ISIRI). Based on our findings, 1329 people including 239 children were living in the areas with higher As contamination. Hazard quotient (HQ) in 72%, 59%, and 33% of the samples was higher than one for children, adolescent, and adult age groups, respectively. Excess life time cancer risk (ELCR) in almost 80% of all age groups was significantly higher than EPA recommended guideline (10 or 10). In summary, from the view point of arsenic HQ and ELCR, water resources in the studied areas were not appropriate for drinking and hygienic purposes; necessary and urgent management strategies to guarantee water supply and health safety for local residents should be considered.
砷（As）是一种有毒的类金属，通过饮用水会对健康造成重大影响。本研究旨在评估伊朗哈什特鲁德农村地区地下水中砷的分布及相关健康风险。还应用主成分分析（PCA）和层次聚类分析（HCA）来更好地解释不同资源之间的关系模式。样品取自 37 个村庄的 51 个地点。采用极谱仪测定砷浓度，根据美国环境保护署（EPA）指南计算相应的致癌和非致癌健康风险。PCA 分析提取了四个主要成分，解释了近 62%的数据方差。结果表明，研究区域砷污染严重，在所研究的区域中，有 78%的样本中检测到砷，浓度范围从低于 0.001 到 0.250mg/L。40%的污染地区违反了 EPA 和伊朗标准与工业研究协会（ISIRI）建议的 10μg/L 指导值。根据我们的发现，包括 239 名儿童在内的 1329 人生活在砷污染较高的地区。在 72%、59%和 33%的样本中，儿童、青少年和成年年龄组的危险商（HQ）分别高于 1。几乎所有年龄组的超额寿命癌症风险（ELCR）都显著高于 EPA 推荐的指南值（10 或 10）。总之，从砷 HQ 和 ELCR 的角度来看，研究区域的水资源不适合饮用和卫生用途；应考虑采取必要和紧急的管理策略，以保障当地居民的供水和健康安全。
