Arsenicosis in a village in Bangladesh

The study was carried out in a village in Jessore district, Bangladesh, to identify the epidemiological characteristics of arsenicosis. Eighty-seven per cent of the tubewells had arsenic concentration more than the WHO maximum permissible limit of 0.05 mg l(-1). The mean arsenic concentration was 0.240 mg l(-1) and the maximum concentration was 1.371 mg l(-1). Of the total 3606 villagers, 10% (363) were found to be suffering from arsenicosis. Most of the arsenicosis patients were between 10 to 39 years of age. There were more male patients (52.6%). There were no patients among villagers who consumed tubewell water having arsenic levels less than 0.082 mg l(-1). The majority (93.4%) of the patients were in the first and second stage of arsenicosis. With increasing exposure to arsenic, a simultaneous increase in the severity of clinical manifestations of arsenicosis was observed (F=43.699; p=0.000). The time-weighted arsenic exposure varied from 0.248 to 5.482 mg day(-1) and the mean was 1.918 mg day(-1). Melanosis was present in almost all the patient (99.5%) and keratosis was present in 68.9%. Cancer (basal cell epithelioma) was present in three (0.8%) patients. The duration of clinical manifestations of arsenicosis varied from 1 to 12 years and the majority were suffering for 4-6 years.