Arsenic exposure in drinking water: an unrecognized health threat in Peru

Gilman, Robert Hugh; Mihalic, Jana; Cabrera, Lilia Z.; Checkley, William; Arias, M. Helena Jahuira; Danz, David; George, Christine Marie; Sima, Laura

dc.contributor.author	George, Christine Marie
dc.contributor.author	Sima, Laura
dc.contributor.author	Arias, M. Helena Jahuira
dc.contributor.author	Mihalic, Jana
dc.contributor.author	Cabrera, Lilia Z.
dc.contributor.author	Danz, David
dc.contributor.author	Checkley, William
dc.contributor.author	Gilman, Robert Hugh
dc.date.accessioned	2020-06-10T18:11:35Z
dc.date.available	2020-06-10T18:11:35Z
dc.date.issued	2014
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12866/8015
dc.description.abstract	OBJECTIVE: To assess the extent of arsenic contamination of groundwater and surface water in Peru and, to evaluate the accuracy of the Arsenic Econo-Quick() (EQ) kit for measuring water arsenic concentrations in the field. METHODS: Water samples were collected from 151 water sources in 12 districts of Peru, and arsenic concentrations were measured in the laboratory using inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The EQ field kit was validated by comparing a subset of 139 water samples analysed by laboratory measurements and the EQ kit. FINDINGS: In 86% (96/111) of the groundwater samples, arsenic exceeded the 10 microg/l arsenic concentration guideline given by the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water. In 56% (62/111) of the samples, it exceeded the Bangladeshi threshold of 50 microg/l; the mean concentration being 54.5 microg/l (range: 0.1-93.1). In the Juliaca and Caracoto districts, in 96% (27/28) of groundwater samples arsenic was above the WHO guideline; and in water samples collected from the section of the Rimac river running through Lima, all had arsenic concentrations exceeding the WHO limit. When validated against laboratory values, the EQ kit correctly identified arsenic contamination relative to the guideline in 95% (106/111) of groundwater and in 68% (19/28) of surface water samples. CONCLUSION: In several districts of Peru, drinking water shows widespread arsenic contamination, exceeding the WHO arsenic guideline. This poses a public health threat requiring further investigation and action. For groundwater samples, the EQ kit performed well relative to the WHO arsenic limit and therefore could provide a vital tool for water arsenic surveillance.	en_US
dc.language.iso	eng
dc.publisher	World Health Organization
dc.relation.ispartofseries	Bulletin of the World Health Organization
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
dc.rights.uri	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.es
dc.subject	Drinking Water	en_US
dc.subject	Arsenic/analysis	en_US
dc.subject	Environmental Monitoring/instrumentation	en_US
dc.subject	Peru	en_US
dc.subject	Spectrophotometry, Atomic	en_US
dc.subject	Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis	en_US
dc.title	Arsenic exposure in drinking water: an unrecognized health threat in Peru	en_US
dc.type	info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.identifier.doi	https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.13.128496
dc.subject.ocde	https://purl.org/pe-repo/ocde/ford#3.03.05
dc.relation.issn	1564-0604