Toxicity from water containing arsenic and fluoride in Xinjiang

Further study was made of the estimated population of 50,760 using well water high in arsenic and fluoride in the area of Kuitun, in China, by examining, for arsenism and fluorosis, over 3,500 residents using water from seven wells. Arsenic and fluoride were seen to be able to exert toxic effects independently when present in well water at levels of 0.12 mg/L or more of arsenic and 0.2 mg/L or more of fluoride. As the level of arsenic increased from 0.12 to 0.6 mg/L the incubation period for arsenism decreased from 10 to 0.5 years and the prevalence at 10 years increased from 1.4 to 47 per cent. Improvement occurred in 82 per cent and the development of new cases was prevented one year after the quality of the water was improved