Analysis of monitoring results of drinking water-borne endemic arsenic poisoning in Tuyouqi, Baotou of Inner Mongolia in 2010

Objective To understand the arsenic level in drinking water and the current situation in prevention and control of endemic arsenic poisoning in Tuyouqi,Baotou of Inner Mongolia.Methods Through door-to-door survey,we selected patients with arsenic poisoning in order to monitor the arsenic poisoning condition of seven villages(Gangfangying,Laohuyao,Shilaozhang,Youfangying,Wanglaosi,Dajing and Xiaojing) in Tuyouqi,Baotou in 2010,and the disease was diagnosed based on Standard of Diagnosis for Endemic Arsenism(WS/T 211-2001).We also investigated the operation of Salaqi Water Company,Maodai Water Company and the Laohuyao water improvement project.We collected two samples per place in both low water period and high water period to measure water arsenic with silver diethyldithiocarbamate spectrophotometry(WS/T 28-1996).Results Three water improving projects were operating in normal conditions.Water arsenic in Salaqi Water Company and Maodai Water Company was level less than 0.01 mg/L,which met the National Safety Standards of drinking water with arsenic.Water arsenic in Laohuyao improvement project was 0.053 mg/L,which was higher than the drinking water safety standards.The seven villages in Tuyouqi had improved their water conditions.Among them,the arsenic level in Laohuyao was 0.052 mg/L,and the remaining six villages were ＜ 0.05 mg/L.There were 6 suspected cases,14 mild cases,4 moderate cases and 10 severe cases of the 2095 people monitored and no new cases found.The age of patients with arsenic poisoning was in the range of 40 to 70.Conclusions The monitoring results show that drinking water arsenic level in some villages in Tuyouqi is still excessive,but no new arsenic poisoning patients in arsenic poisoning areas are found. Key words: Arsenic poisoning; Water; Epidemiology; Data collection