Hygienic assessment and arsenic content in drinking water in Gobi provinces / Монголын Анагаах Ухаан

ABSTRACT

Background: A water supply sufficiency and quality standard has been still important object of the priority issues of countries, regions as well as the Worldwide. In December, 2003, the General Assembly of the UN announced to worldwide a decade named as "Water for life" with duration of 2005 - 2015. Public Health Institute of Mongolia,2 Health Sciences University of Mongolia Background: A water supply sufficiency and quality standard has been still important object of the priority issues of countries, regions as well as the Worldwide. In December, 2003, the General Assembly of the UN announced to worldwide a decade named as "Water for life" with duration of 2005 - 2015. Ensure environmental sustainability objective 6.16 within MDGs of Mongolia proposed to decrease a share of inhabitants without safe drinking water, and a share of inhabitants not provided by an improved sanitation infrastructure, respectively. After Mongolia shifted to a market economy system, production rapidly developed, and rapid increasing of mining, population centralization in urban areas and use of the chemical elements were basic and necessary conditions to study an arsenic content in drinking water of Gobi provinces. Goal To determine arsenic content in drinking water of Gobi provinces and provide a hygienic assessment. Materials and Methods: Research study designed by cross-section methods and analyzed one action data. In total of 62 soumsfrom five Gobi provinces (namely Gobi-Altai, Gobisumber, Dornogobi, Dundgobi, and Umnugobi) were selected as a research sites. Samples are taken according to the standard MNS ISO 5667-22001 from total of 142 deep drilled wells amongst 62 selected soums. According to the ISO-MNS 118852007 standard, arsenic content (As) were tested in the samples by using Optical Emission Spectrometer with brand name of Varian 720 -ESICP. Test analyses were assessed after comparison with the content level of arsenic in drinking water standard of Mongolia as coded MNS 9002005 and the recommended levels stated in "Guidelines for drinking water quality", developed by the WHO. Results: Arsenic contents were presented 106 samples, represented 74.6 percent of the total samples from the 142 deep drilled wells in the selected sites of 62 soums among 5 Gobi provinces. In additionally, existing arsenic contents in 22 samples were 15.4 percent of the selected samples counted 1 to 6 times higher than the drinking water standard of Mongolia as coded MNS 9002005 and the recommended levels stated in "WHO - Guidelines for drinking water quality". Total drinking water arsenic contents across the selected 5 Gobi provinces were statistical mean 0.0084 ± 0.0009 mg/l. Conclusion: 15.4 percent arsenic contents in drinking water in Gobi provinces were greater than the drinking water standard of Mongolia as coded MNS 9002005 and the recommended levels stated in "WHO - Guidelines for drinking water quality".