Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater and Its Clinical Impact on Inhabitants in Central East India

Abstract We have worked on the As concentrations present in the groundwater samples in the Rajnandgaon region of India, as well as the clinical assessment of the impact of Arsenicosis on the human population. Out of twenty groundwater samples from eight villages, arsenic was found to be above the permissible limit in eighteen samples. The people in the affected area were found suffering from diffused and spotted melanosis, diffused and nodular keratosis, leucomelanosis, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly. The hematological parameters, viz. low Hemoglobin, high ESR, and low PCV, with RBC, WBC, and Platelet counts adversely altered and increased Prothrombin time. The change in biochemical parameters reflects the toxic effect of prolonged exposure to arsenic viz. – low Serum Glucose, high LDL, HDL, and TG, decreased Total Protein, Albumin, and Globulin. Total Bilirubin, Creatinine, Urea, and SGPT were at higher levels, but the activity of Alkaline phosphatase was found lower. The study reveals the severe health impact on humans, especially on the liver, kidney, and skin caused by arsenic toxicity in Kaurikasa village and adjoining area.