Additional Burden of Diseases Associated with Cadmium Exposure: A Case Study of Cadmium Contaminated Rice Fields in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand

Nisarat Songprasert, Thitiporn Sukaew, Khanitta Kusreesakul, Witaya Swaddiwudhipong, Chantana Padungtod and Kanitta Bundhamcharoen
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Nisarat Songprasert: International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
Thitiporn Sukaew: International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
Khanitta Kusreesakul: International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
Witaya Swaddiwudhipong: Department of Community and Social Medicine, Mae Sot General Hospital, Tak 63110, Thailand
Chantana Padungtod: Bureau of Occupational and Environmental Disease, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
Kanitta Bundhamcharoen: International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 8, 1-19

Abstract: The cadmium (Cd) contaminated rice fields in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand has been one of the major environmental problems in Thailand for the last 10 years. We used disability adjusted life years (DALYs) to estimate the burden of disease attributable to Cd in terms of additional DALYs of Mae Sot residents. Cd exposure data included Cd and ? 2 –microglobulin (? 2 -MG) in urine (as an internal exposure dose) and estimated cadmium daily intake (as an external exposure dose). Compared to the general Thai population, Mae Sot residents gained 10%–86% DALYs from nephrosis/nephritis, heart diseases, osteoporosis and cancer depending on their Cd exposure type and exposure level. The results for urinary Cd and dietary Cd intake varied according to the studies used for risk estimation. The ceiling effect was observed in results using dietary Cd intake because of the high Cd content in rice grown in the Mae Sot area. The results from ? 2 -MG were more robust with additional DALYs ranging from 36%–86% for heart failure, cerebral infraction, and nephrosis/nephritis. Additional DALYs is a useful approach for assessing the magnitude of environmental Cd exposure. The Mae Sot population lost more healthy life compared to populations living in a non- or less Cd polluted area. This method should be applicable to various types of environmental contamination problems if exposure assessment information is available.

Keywords: cadmium; Mae Sot; DALYs; disability adjusted life years (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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