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The Health Risk Associated with Chronic Diseases in Villages with High Arsenic Levels in Drinking Water Supplies

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Abstract

This study is intended to compare and assess the distribution and possible causes of current chronic diseases in villages with high arsenic levels in drinking water supplies. It is a cross-sectional epidemiological research that analyzes the frequency and underlying risk factors of chronic diseases in villages with varying levels of arsenic exposure through drinking water. Sample space of study included 1003 individuals, 614 of whom were from villages with high arsenic levels in drinking water and remaining 389 were from two control villages with below-limit arsenic levels in drinking water. While nutritional habits and living environments of two groups were similar, cigarette smoking and alcohol use were higher in villages with low arsenic levels. Mini mental state examination test results in 60+ age group were lower in villages with high arsenic levels. Although no statistically significant differences were detected in chronic disease occurrence between the groups, the number of cases was higher in villages with higher percentage of cigarette smoking and alcohol use. Moreover, cases of lung, colon, and stomach cancers were higher in villages with high arsenic levels in drinking water supplies.

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Funding

This study is funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) through project number 109Y029. The authors express their gratitude to the local people of the villages of Çitgöl, Boğazköy, Gölköy, Demirciköy, and Öreyler for their support and hospitality during field work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey

    Orhan Gunduz & Alper Elci

  2. Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Turkey

    Coskun Bakar

  3. Torbali Vocational School, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey

    Celalettin Simsek

  4. Department of Civil Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey

    Alper Baba

  5. Applied Speciation and Consulting LLC, Bothell, WA, USA

    Hakan Gurleyuk

  6. Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey

    Merdiye Mutlu & Ayse Cakir

Authors
  1. Orhan Gunduz
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  2. Coskun Bakar
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  3. Celalettin Simsek
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  4. Alper Baba
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  5. Alper Elci
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  6. Hakan Gurleyuk
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  7. Merdiye Mutlu
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  8. Ayse Cakir
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Orhan Gunduz.

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Conflict of interest

The authors do not declare any actual or potential conflict of interest including any financial, personal, or other relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence this work.

Ethical Approval

The ethical approval for this study was issued by the Clinical and Laboratory Research Ethical Committee of Dokuz Eylul University with the document dated 21/01/2009 and numbered B.20.2.DEU.0.01.00.00/1417.

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Gunduz, O., Bakar, C., Simsek, C. et al. The Health Risk Associated with Chronic Diseases in Villages with High Arsenic Levels in Drinking Water Supplies. Expo Health 9, 261–273 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-016-0238-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-016-0238-2

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