Chronic kidney disease in two coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, India: role of drinking water

• Published in: Environmental geochemistry and health Vol. 35; no. 4; pp. 439 - 454
• Main Authors: Reddy, D. V., Gunasekar, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.08.2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anions - analysis; Cations - analysis; Chemical elements; Chromatography, Ion Exchange; Drinking water; Drinking Water - analysis; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Geochemistry; Groundwater - analysis; Humans; India - epidemiology; Kidney diseases; Mass Spectrometry; Original Paper; Public Health; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic - chemically induced; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic - epidemiology; Soil Science & Conservation; Terrestrial Pollution; Trace Elements - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water quality; India; Andhra Pradesh India; ISW, India, Andhra Pradesh; ISW, India, Andhra Pradesh, Srikakulam Dist; Strontium; Drinking water; Hydrochemistry; Chronic kidney disease (CKD); Silica
• ISSN: 0269-4042; 1573-2983
• DOI: 10.1007/s10653-012-9506-7

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been reported in a few coastal regions of Srikakulam district and Chimakurthy mandal (~30–40 km away from the coast) in the Prakasham district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Some medical experts and the local population have apprehensions that the drinking water is the sole reason for this disease in these areas. As the source of drinking water for these two regions is only groundwater, major ions and trace elements were measured on waters from different sources to identify the causative element(s), if any. Comparison of hydrochemical data of both the areas indicates that groundwater in Srikakulam coastal region is less mineralized than that of the Prakasham region, which may be due to geological, hydrological and climatic reasons. However, the concentrations of various inorganic chemicals are within the permissible limits of drinking water. Hence, for the inorganic chemicals to cause ill health, including CKD, is unlikely or is ruled out in the study areas.