a systematic review of arsenic exposure and its social and mental health effects with special reference to bangladesh砷暴露的系统回顾和它的社会和心理健康的影响与孟加拉国.pdfVIP

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2009, 6, 1609-1619; doi:10.3390/ijerph6051609 OPEN ACCESS International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ISSN 1660-4601 /journal/ijerph Review A Systematic Review of Arsenic Exposure and Its Social and Mental Health Effects with Special Reference to Bangladesh Johanna Brinkel, Md Mobarak H. Khan* and Alexander Kraemer Department of Public Health Medicine, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany; E-Mails: johanna_katharina.brinkel@uni-bielefeld.de (J.B.) ; alexander.kraemer@uni-bielefeld.de (A.K.) * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: mobarak.khan@uni-bielefeld.de; Tel.: +49-521-106-4262; Fax: +49-521-106-2968 Received: 4 January 2009 / Accepted: 9 April 2009 / Published: 8 May 2009 Abstract: Underground water in many regions of the world is contaminated with high concentrations of arsenic and the resulting toxicity has created a major environmental and public health problem in the affected regions. Chronic arsenic exposure can cause many diseases, including various physical and psychological harms. Although the physical problems caused by arsenic toxicity are well reported in literature, unfortunately the consequences of arsenic exposure on mental health are not adequately studied. Ther