Factors Related to Urinary Arsenic Concentration among Farmers in Ongphra Subdistrict, Danchang District, Suphanburi Province, Thailand

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the arsenic contamination in environment and to investigate factors related to the urinary arsenic level among farmers in Aongphra Subdistrict, Danchang District, Suphanburi Province. Forty four farmers were selected for study group while 10 household residents were baseline group. The collecting data protocols were divided into 2 parts 1) the interview using questionnaires 2) the arsenic analysis using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Hydride Generator. The descriptive statistic used number, percentage, median, and inter quartile range (IQR) while the Mann-Whitney U test statistic was used to determine the factors related to urinary arsenic level and used to compare the difference of arsenic concentration in environment. The Spearman’s rho correlation test was used to investigate the relationship of urinary arsenic level with arsenic contamination in environment and behavioral factors. The results showed that arsenic contamination in soil was higher than limit value (Median of house hold resident soil, farmer farm soil and house soil were 56.4, 42.3 and 25.3 mg/kg, respectively). The Mann-Whitney U test statistic at significant p-value< 0.05 showed that females had higher urinary arsenic level than males and resident soil had higher arsenic level than farm soil at significant p-value 0.049 and 0.002, respectively. Meanwhile, urinary arsenic contamination among famers was higher than household resident at significant p-value 0.019. The hygiene behavior of farmers should be improved such as using personal protective equipment properly to avoid the arsenic exposure risk during farming activity. The results of the study showed that the high level of arsenic contamination in soil was above normal limit value and arsenic contamination in resident soil was higher than farm soil then it could be implied that the farmers and resident were living in a high risk area. The factors affecting to urinary arsenic level among farmers were gender and their occupation.