Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa.
School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 9;19(8):4530. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19084530.
Due to the semi-arid nature of Makueni County in South-Eastern Kenya, there is a high dependence on groundwater resources for domestic use. Reliance on this source of potable water may have health implications for the population, given the presence of several naturally occurring and potentially harmful elements reported from aquifer source rocks, soil, and water in the area. A survey involving questionnaires and focus group discussions (FGDs) was conducted with 115 individuals to determine the local population's knowledge, attitude, and perceptions of their drinking water quality and its health impacts. The results show that most respondents (67%) preferred piped water because it was pre-treated and not saline. Only 29% of the respondents were very satisfied with the taste of their drinking water, while the rest complained about varying salinity levels, ranging from slightly salty to very salty. This low satisfaction might have influenced the low daily drinking water consumption (1-2 L) by most respondents. Health issues reported by many (43%) respondents in the area include diarrhoea and gastrointestinal upsets, which may be associated with the saline nature of the drinking water. Elevated fluoride (F) in the local groundwater was reported, and the health effects remain a concern. Although 91% knew someone with dental fluorosis, 53% did not know the deleterious effects of high F in drinking water. Most respondents (59%) associated the salty nature of the water with dental fluorosis, and as a result, 48% avoided drinking the salty water to prevent the condition. Despite the high prevalence and known psycho-social effects, most people did not perceive dental fluorosis as a severe health threat. The increased health risks associated with high salinity and high F in drinking water in Makueni County are poorly understood by most residents, regardless of their education, gender, or age. This warrants an immediate public health education programme and detailed epidemiological studies to determine all the health effects associated with naturally occurring, potentially harmful elements in groundwater in the area.
由于肯尼亚东南部马库埃尼县的半干旱性质，当地居民高度依赖地下水资源作为家庭用水。考虑到该地区含水层源岩、土壤和水中存在多种天然存在的、潜在有害的元素，这种依赖可能对居民的健康产生影响。本研究通过问卷调查和焦点小组讨论（FGD）对 115 人进行了调查，以确定当地居民对饮用水质量及其健康影响的知识、态度和看法。结果表明，大多数受访者（67%）更喜欢管道水，因为它经过预处理且没有盐分。只有 29%的受访者对饮用水的味道非常满意，而其余的受访者则抱怨其含盐量不同，从略带咸味到非常咸。这种低满意度可能影响了大多数受访者的每日低饮水量（1-2L）。该地区许多受访者（43%）报告的健康问题包括腹泻和肠胃不适，这可能与饮用水的咸度有关。当地地下水氟含量升高，健康影响仍令人担忧。尽管 91%的受访者认识有氟斑牙的人，但 53%的人不知道高氟对饮用水的有害影响。大多数受访者（59%）将水的咸味与氟斑牙联系起来，因此 48%的人避免饮用咸水以防止这种情况。尽管氟斑牙的高患病率和已知的心理社会影响，但大多数人并没有将其视为严重的健康威胁。大多数居民，无论其教育程度、性别或年龄如何，都不了解高盐分和高氟对饮用水带来的健康风险。这需要立即开展公共卫生教育计划和详细的流行病学研究，以确定与该地区地下水中天然存在的、潜在有害元素相关的所有健康影响。
