Different Choices of Drinking Water Source and Different Health Risks in a Rural Population Living Near a Lead/Zinc Mine in Chenzhou City, Southern China

Xiao Huang, Liping He, Jun Li, Fei Yang and Hongzhuan Tan
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Xiao Huang: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
Liping He: Department of Hygiene, School of Public Health, Xiangnan University, Chenzhou, Hunan 423000, China
Jun Li: Department of Hygiene, School of Public Health, Xiangnan University, Chenzhou, Hunan 423000, China
Fei Yang: Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
Hongzhuan Tan: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: This study aimed to describe the households’ choices of drinking water sources, and evaluate the risk of human exposure to heavy metals via different drinking water sources in Chenzhou City of Hunan Province, Southern China. A cross-sectional face-to-face survey of 192 householders in MaTian and ZhuDui village was conducted. The concentrations of heavy metals in their drinking water sources were analyzed. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessment was performed according to the method recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. In total, 52.60% of the households used hand-pressed well water, and 34.89% used barreled water for drinking. In total, 6.67% of the water samples exceeded the Chinese drinking water standards. The total health risk of five metals is 5.20 × 10 ?9 ~3.62 × 10 ?5 . The total health risk of five metals was at acceptable levels for drinking water sources. However, the total risk of using hand-pressed well water’s highest value is 6961 times higher than the risk of using tap water. Household income level was significantly associated with drinking water choices. Arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) are priority controlled pollutants in this region. Using safe drinking water (tap water, barreled water and so on) can remarkably reduce the risk of ingesting heavy metals.

Keywords: drinking water; heavy metals; risk assessment; environmental epidemiology; mining activities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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