Abstract:
This study focused to analyse exposure of selected drinking and dietary contaminants and to assess the
health risk for the selected population of Padaviya, Anuradhapura. Thirty families were randomly selected
from which fifteen families were with the presence CKDu patients and other fifteen families were with
absence of CKDu patients. Questionnaire based social survey was conducted and relevant data were
collected for the risk analysis. Water, rice and soil samples were collected on family basis for the quality
assessment. Nitrate-N, total hardness and fluoride varied within the range of 1.01 - 23.4 mg/L, 40.04 –
644.58 mg/L and 0.47 – 1.92mg/L respectively. All physiochemical parameters were significantly different
among the wells (P<0.05). Water pH, conductivity and TDS in well water were below the Sri Lankan
standard for portable water level (SLPWL). However, exceeded SLPWL value of NO3-N (C10, C14, C15&
N3), hardness (C12 & C13) and fluoride (C7, C15 & N3) were observed in some wells. Both iron and copper
concentrations in well water were lower than the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) of
WHO (Fe: 2 mg/L and Cu: 2 mg/L). Dietary iron and copper concentrations in rice were higher than the
PMTDI of WHO (0.5 mg/kg) except for family N7. Copper and Iron varied within the range of 1.55 – 48.4
mg/kg dw and 467.08-893.61 mg/kg dw in soil respectively. Probable exposure concentration was higher
than probable non-exposure concentration in the selected population. Therefore, Relative Risk for CKDu was
greater than 1 for all selected contaminants and it explains that there is a possible risk due to drinking water
and eating rice for the selected contaminants. Non-cancer risk values in selected families were higher than
the unity of the risk level (1x10-6) and therefore the contaminants in drinking water and rice in Padaviya
area can be considered as risk factors for prevailing chronic kidney disease.
