Title: Arsenic pollution of soils and morbidity prevalence in Racha-Lower Svaneti district of Georgia

Authors: Archil Chirakadze; Zakaria Buachidze; Irina O. Khomeriki; Vakhtang Gvakharia; Maia Stamateli; Neli Chakvetadze; Maiko Chokheli; William A. Toscano; Ketevan Chigogidze; Leila Gvertsiteli; Nino Bagrationi

Addresses: Faculty of Informatics and Control Systems, Georgian Technical University, 77, Merab Kostava Street, Tbilisi, Georgia ' Faculty of Informatics and Control Systems, Georgian Technical University, 77, Merab Kostava Street, Tbilisi, Georgia ' Faculty of Informatics and Control Systems, Georgian Technical University, 77, Merab Kostava Street, Tbilisi, Georgia ' Union 'Association Gamma', 17a, D. Guramishvili Avenue, Tbilisi, Georgia ' Union 'Association Gamma', 17a, D. Guramishvili Avenue, Tbilisi, Georgia ' National Centre of Disease Control and Public Health, 9, Asatiani Street, Tbilisi, Georgia ' National Centre of Disease Control and Public Health, 9, Asatiani Street, Tbilisi, Georgia ' Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota, 1260 Mayo Building MMC, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA ' D. Uznadze Association of Psychologists of Georgia, 22 Iashvili str. Tbilisi, 0105, Georgia ' Faculty of Chemical Technologies and Metallurgy, Georgian Technical University, 77, Merab Kostava Street, Tbilisi, Georgia ' Faculty of Chemical Technologies and Metallurgy, Georgian Technical University, 77, Merab Kostava Street, Tbilisi, Georgia

Abstract: Approximately 120 thousand tons of various molecular forms of highly toxic arsenic waste are located in mountainous areas of Georgia as an 'inheritance' after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The heavy contamination of soil around crumbling storage areas results in pollution and high exposure of local communities, livestock, poultry and wildlife to arsenic. Relative risks for 13 diseases in adults: skin diseases, pigmentation maculae, cancer; epigenetic, mental and behavioural, endocrine, urogenital disorders; respiratory, neural, gastrointestinal diseases; tumours, allergy, injury and intoxications are reported. Future work involving transdisciplinary research of epigenetic abnormalities and mental disorders in adults and children including methods of psychological testing are discussed.

Keywords: arsenic pollution; waste disposal; soil contamination; morbidity; health risks; Georgia; environmental pollution; epigenetic abnormalities; mental disorders; psychological testing; diseases.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2016.077908

International Journal of Global Warming, 2016 Vol.10 No.1/2/3, pp.92 - 114

Received: 02 Sep 2014
Accepted: 28 Jan 2015
Published online: 22 Jul 2016 *

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