Abstract

APAZA, Julio Málaga. Arsenic content, knowledge and attitude in family well water consumption. Vive Rev. Salud [online]. 2023, vol.6, n.18, pp.802-814.  Epub Sep 25, 2023. ISSN 2664-3243.  https://doi.org/10.33996/revistavive.v6i18.264.

Arsenic contamination of drinking water is a public health problem, because it causes various carcinogenic and skin diseases. Objective. To determine arsenic levels in well water, and to evaluate the degree of knowledge and attitude about family water consumption. Materials and methods. Ninety-six samples of well water from the district of Juliaca were used. These were analyzed in the laboratory of the Chemical Analysis Services Unit of the Faculty of Chemistry - Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos-Lima, using the technique Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry with Graphite Furnace. The arsenic data were statistically processed using a completely randomized design. Likewise, the description of the knowledge and attitude of family water consumption was carried out by applying the survey technique and the instrument was a questionnaire of 11 items for the knowledge variable and 7 for the attitude variable, with answers of high, medium and low for knowledge and good, regular and bad rated with a Likert scale. Results. The average concentration was 0.031 mg As/L water and there was similarity between zones (p>0.05). In the degree of knowledge about arsenic contamination in drinking water, 40.81% responded with high qualification and 59.19% were between medium and low; in attitude, the good qualification obtained less than 50% of respondents and the rest were between regular and bad. Conclusions. The arsenic content in well water exceeds the maximum permissible limits according to the World Health Organization and more than 50% are exposed to contaminated water.

Keywords : Arsenic; Drinking; Attitude.

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