Arsenicosis status and urinary malondialdehyde (MDA) in people exposed to arsenic contaminated-coal in China

The current arsenic exposure condition, arsenicosis prevalence, urinary arsenic and MDA (malondialdehyde) concentrations in people were studied. The study area, a village in Xing Ren County in Guizhou Province, PR China, is a coal-borne arsenicosis endemic area that was identified several decades ago. The residents in Xing Ren have been using coal containing high arsenic levels all their life. Urinary arsenic levels of villagers were 192.2 ± 22 µg/g creatinine (n = 113) in the coal-borne endemic area (Xing Ren county) and were significantly higher than 63.6 ± 5.9 µg/g creatinine (n = 30) in a neighbouring control site (a village in Xing Yi county). The urinary MDA concentrations of villagers from the endemic area were also significantly higher compared to those of the control area. There was a strong correlation between age and urinary arsenic and MDA concentrations in the endemic area of Xing Ren; urinary arsenic and MDA levels decreased with age. Fifty out of 113 (44.3%) villagers in the endemic area had arsenicosis symptoms and the prevalence in villagers older than 40 y was 100% in male (92.2% overall). Urinary MDA concentration was significantly higher in people with arsenicosis symptoms in the endemic areas. Oxidative stress (urinary MDA concentration) was strongly related to arsenic exposure but not to the age and smoking habit. Higher urinary arsenic and MDA levels in younger villagers from the endemic area suggest that they are having a higher exposure to coal-borne emitted arsenic because they spend more time indoor. There is an urgent need to develop proper intervention methods in the Guizhou endemic areas in order to reduce the risk to the local communities who are still using arsenic contaminated-coal.