Atanu Sarkar

Environmental arsenic contamination and its health effects in a historic gold mining area of the Mangalur greenstone belt of Northeastern Karnataka, India.

This report summarizes recent findings of environmental arsenic (As) contamination and the consequent health effects in a community located near historic gold mining activities in the Mangalur greenstone belt of Karnataka, India. Arsenic contents in water, hair, nail, soil and food were measured by FI-HG-AAS. Elemental analyses of soils were determined by ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry). Of 59 tube-well water samples, 79% had As above 10 μg L(-1) (maximum 303 μg L(-1)). Of 12 topsoil samples, six were found to contain As greater than 2000 mg kg(-1) possibly indicating the impact of mine tailings on the area. All hair and nail samples collected from 171 residents contained elevated As. Arsenical skin lesions were observed among 58.6% of a total 181 screened individuals. Histopathological analysis of puncture biopsies of suspected arsenical dermatological symptoms confirmed the diagnosis in three out of four patients. Based on the time-course of As-like symptoms reported by the community as well as the presence of overt arsenicosis, it is hypothesized that the primary route of exposure in the study area was via contaminated groundwater; however, the identified high As content in residential soil could also be a significant source of As exposure via ingestion. Additional studies are required to determine the extent as well as the relative contribution of geologic and anthropogenic factors in environmental As contamination in the region. This study report is to our knowledge one of the first to describe overt arsenicosis in this region of Karnataka, India as well as more broadly an area with underlying greenstone geology and historic mining activity.

Emerging health risks associated with modern agriculture practices: a comprehensive study in India.

In order to enhance food production, India has adopted modern agriculture practices and achieved noteworthy success. This achievement was essentially the result of a paradigm shift in agriculture that included high inputs of agrochemicals, water, and widespread practice of monoculture, as well as bureaucratic changes that promoted these changes. There are very few comprehensive analyses of potential adverse health outcomes that may be related to these changes. The objective of this study is to identify health risks associated with modern agricultural practices in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. This study aims to compare high-input and low-input agricultural practices and the consequences for health of people in these communities. The fieldwork was conducted from May to August, 2009 and included a survey carried out in six villages. Data were collected by in-depth personal interviews among 240 households and key informants, field observations, laboratory analyses, and data from secondary sources. The study identified four major visible impacts: occupational hazards, vector borne diseases, changing nutritional status, and inequity in development. In the high-input area, mechanization has resulted in more occurrences of serious accidents and injuries. Ecological changes due to rice cultivation in this area have further augmented mosquito breeding, and there has been a surge in the incidence of Japanese encephalitis and malaria. The traditional coarse cereals (complex carbohydrates, high protein) have been replaced by mill-polished rice (simple carbohydrate, low protein). The prevalence of overweight (BMI>25) has emerged as a new public health challenge, and this is most evident in large-landholding households, especially in the high-input agriculture areas. In all agro-ecological areas, it was observed that women faced a greater risk of both extremes of under-nutrition and being overweight. Output-driven and market-oriented modern agricultural practices have changed the ecology and disease pattern in this area in India, and our survey indicated significant health effects associated with these changes. There is a need for more extensive epidemiological studies in order to know the full impact on diseases and to understand the complex causal relationships.

Mercury emissions from industrial sources in India and its effects in the environment

This study describes the atmospheric mercury (Hg) emissions from industrial sources in India for the years 2000 to 2004. In India emission inventories of Hg and other trace elements from anthropogenic sources have been largely neglected, although the GDP (Gross Domestic Products growth) has touched 9.6% at the beginning of the 21st century. In coal production India is the third largest in the world, whereas Indian cement and brick production have reached second place in the world. With increased industrial development, acute pollution problems have been identified in the subcontinent. There is no consistent earlier information for Hg emissions to the environment for any sectors of industry. This paper may be the first road map in which we have tried to find out the total emission of Hg from a wide range of sources, e.g. from coal combustion to clinical thermometers broken during production or packing. There is a lack of basic data and in an attempt to correct this, emission factors suitable for Asian countries have been selected to complete this study. Before this document, there were some efforts in Europe to develop emission inventories for Hg from coal combustion or chlor-alkali plants for India. In this study it was found that total atmospheric emission from industrial sources has decreased from 321 Mg in 2000 to 253 Mg in 2004 due to a switch for the membrane cell process in the chlor-alkali industry. In 2004 the largest part of the Hg emissions stemmed from coal combustion in thermal power plants. Hg-cell technology had been used earlier in chlorine and sodium hydroxide production, as a result of which Hg concentration in terrestrial and aquatic species are nowadays quite high in coastal areas. India can thus be referred to as a mercury “hot spot”. We have received limited information on emissions of Hg from industrial sources in India. Estimates are based on emission factors and the values taken from the literature. Against a background of limited data and information, this paper gives an overview of Hg emissions in India and of the recent steps undertaken by authorities to curb the emissions of Hg and its subsequent trans-boundary movement in the global environment.

Exploring Water Insecurity in a Northern Indigenous Community in Canada: The "Never-Ending Job" of the Southern Inuit of Black Tickle, Labrador

This study is one of very few studies of water insecurity in northern Indigenous communities in Canada. In this first phase, we aimed to understand the multiple dimensions and effects of long-term water insecurity in remote Indigenous communities in Canada and to identify coping strategies. This paper presents exploratory findings on water quality, access, use, impacts, and coping mechanisms in the Southern Inuit community of Black Tickle-Domino, Labrador. We used qualitative and quantitative methods and our research built on the participant observation of two research-team members. We also tested water samples and trained residents to do so. Chronic water insecurity is associated with poor community health, especially food security.

Association between perceptions of public drinking water quality and actual drinking water quality: A community-based exploratory study in Newfoundland (Canada)

ABSTRACT Studying public perception on drinking water quality is crucial for managing of water resources, generation of water quality standards, and surveillance of the drinking‐water quality. However, in policy discourse, the reliability of public perception concerning drinking water quality and associated health risks is questionable. Does the public perception of water quality equate with the actual water quality? We investigated public perceptions of water quality and the perceived health risks and associated with the actual quality of public water supplies in the same communities. The study was conducted in 45 communities of Newfoundland (Canada) in 2012. First, a telephone survey of 100 households was conducted to examine public perceptions of drinking water quality of their respective public sources. Then we extracted public water quality reports of the same communities (1988–2011) from the provincial governments water resources portal. These reports contained the analysis of 2091 water samples, including levels of Disinfection By‐Products (DBPs), nutrients, metals, ions and physical parameters. The reports showed that colour, manganese, total dissolved solids, iron, turbidity, and DBPs were the major detected parameters in the public water. However, the majority of the respondents (>56%) were either completely satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of drinking water. Older, higher educated and high‐income group respondents were more satisfied with water quality than the younger, less educated and low‐income group respondents. The study showed that there was no association with public satisfaction level and actual water quality of the respective communities. Even, in the communities, supplied by the same water system, the respondents had differences in opinion. Despite the effort by the provincial government to make the water‐test results available on its website for years, the study showed existing disconnectedness between public perception of drinking water quality and actual quality. We had little scope to explore the possible explanations, and hence further studies are required to verify the age, gender educational status and income differential about the satisfaction of public service like water supply. HighlightsStudy of the public’s perception on drinking water quality is very importantin policy discourse, how reliable is the public perception?The study shows that public perception and actual water quality relation is skewed.

Modern agriculture and food and nutrition insecurity: paradox in India

• Modern agriculture (known as the Green Revolution) has significantly improved Indias food production.

Skewed distribution of hypothyroidism in the coastal communities of Newfoundland, Canada

Several studies published in the recent past have shown that rising levels of thyroid disrupting chemicals (TDCs) in the environment affect thyroid function in humans. These TDCs are the anthropogenic organic compounds that enter the human body mostly by ingestion and may trigger autoimmune thyroiditis, the most common cause of hypothyroidism. The studies also show the presence of high levels of TDCs in marine animals; therefore, consumption of contaminated seafood might trigger hypothyroidism. So far, there is no readily available population-based data, showing the regional distribution of hypothyroidism cases. We collected administrative data from the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information on hospitalizations with hypothyroidism (from 1998 to 2012) in 41 coastal communities of Newfoundland and found that mean hypothyroidism rates of west and south coasts were significantly higher than in the east coast (1.8 and 1.9 times respectively). A one-way analysis of variance was used to test for regional differences in rates. A significant between-group difference in the rate of hypothyroidism was found (F2,38 = 8.309; p = 0.001). The St. Lawrence River, its estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence are heavily polluted with TDCs from industries, their effluents, and urbanization in the Great Lakes Watershed and along the river. Environment Canada has already identified this river along with the Great Lakes Watershed as one of the top TDCs polluted water sources in the country. The west and south coasts are in contact with the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Local marine products are a regular diet of the coastal communities of Newfoundland. Based on these available evidence, we hypothesize the role of TDCs in the rise of hypothyroidism on the western and southern coasts. However, further study will be needed to establish any association between abnormally high rates of hypothyroidism and exposure to TDCs.

Ecosystem Perspective of Groundwater Arsenic Contamination in India and Relevance in Policy

Millions of people living in India are at risk by consuming arsenic contaminated groundwater. Several technological solutions have failed to address the problem due to segmental approaches, resulting in human suffering for a period of three decades. The article is based on an analysis of arsenic-related health problems from an ecosystem perspective through a primary survey conducted in five arsenic affected villages in the state of West Bengal and review of existing research and policy documents. Although modern agricultural practices and drinking water policies have resulted in arsenic contamination of groundwater, current mitigation policy is essentially confined to biomedical approaches, which includes potable water supply and medical care. The study also shows that existing disparity, difficulty in coping, inaccessibility to health service and potable water supply and lack of participation in decision making have resulted in more suffering among the poor. On the other hand, spreading of arsenic contamination in the ecosystem remains unabated. Foods grown in the affected area have emerged as additional sources of exposure to humans. There is lack of evidence of any perceivable benefits due to sustainable agriculture, as present nature of agriculture practice is essentially driven by crop yield only. Further research is needed to generate credible evidence of alternative agriculture paradigms that may eventually reduce body burden of arsenic through reduced dependency on groundwater.

Association of type 1 diabetes and concentrations of drinking water components in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Objective To determine the association between drinking water quality and rates of type 1 diabetes in the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) population, which has one of the highest incidences of type 1 diabetes reported globally. Research design and methods The study used a community-based, case-control design. We first calculated incidence rates of type 1 diabetes at the provincial, regional and community levels. The connection between incidence rates and components in public water supplies were then analyzed in three ways: to evaluate differences in water quality between communities with and without incident cases of type 1 diabetes, and to analyze the relationship between water quality and incidence rates of type 1 diabetes at both the community and regional levels. Results The provincial incidence of type 1 diabetes was 51.7/100 000 (0-14 year age group) for the period studied. In the community-based analysis, there were significant associations found between higher concentrations of arsenic (β=0.268, P=0.013) and fluoride (β=0.202, P=0.005) in drinking water and higher incidence of type 1 diabetes. In the regional analysis, barium (β=−0.478, P=0.009) and nickel (β=−0.354, P=0.050) concentrations were negatively associated with incidence of type 1 diabetes. Conclusions We confirmed the high incidence of type 1 diabetes in NL. We also found that concentrations of some components in drinking water were associated with higher incidence of type 1 diabetes, but no component was found to have a significant association across the three different levels of analysis performed.

Indoor Radon in Micro-geological Setting of an Indigenous Community in Canada: A Pilot Study for Hazard Identification

Background: Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. In Canada, the health authorities have no access to comprehensive profile of the communities built over uranium-rich micro-geological settings. The present indoor radon monitoring guideline is unable to provide an accurate identification of health hazards due to discounting several parameters of housing characteristics. Objective: To explore indoor radon levels in a micro-geological setting known for high uranium in bedrock and to develop a theoretical model for a revised radon testing protocol. Methods: We surveyed a remote Inuit community in Labrador, located in the midst of uranium belt. We selected 25 houses by convenience sampling and placed electret-ion-chamber radon monitoring devices in the lowest levels of the house (basement/crawl space). The standard radon study questionnaire developed and used by Health Canada was used. Results: 7 (28%) houses had radon levels above the guideline value (range 249 to 574 Bq/ m3). Housing characteristics, such as floors, sump holes, ventilation, and heating systems were suspected for high indoor radon levels and health consequences. Conclusion: There is a possibility of the existence of high-risk community in a low-risk region. The regional and provincial health authorities would be benefited by consulting geologists to identify potentially high-risk communities across the country. Placing testing devices in the lowest levels provides more accurate assessment of indoor radon level. The proposed protocol, based on synchronized testing of radon (at the lowest level of houses and in rooms of normal occupancy) and thorough inspection of the houses will be a more effective lung cancer prevention strategy.