Dozens of people in Thanh Hoa Province’s Dinh Lien Commune die of cancer annually due to arsenic-contaminated water.
Locals blamed arsenic-contaminated water for causing cancer
According to the latest statistics by the communal clinic in Yen Dinh District, the number of people suffering from cancer reached 12 since the beginning of this year.
Le Van Ngoi, head of the clinic said the real number could be much higher as many people have not yet received health checkups.
The number of people in Dinh Lien who have died from cancer has gradually increased over the past decade. The figure was 82 for the 2005-2011 period.
Ngoi said, “Previously, most cancer patients were from Bai Thuy Village but incidents seem to have spread to several other villages in the commune in recent years. The situation is thought to be due to arsenic-contaminated water.”
Local people said the water they use for their daily life is substandard as it contains high levels of arsenic, with measurements greatly exceeding standard levels.
Results of an examination by the provincial Department of Natural Resource and Environment in July 2007 showed that six out of eight water samples taken from Bai Thuy Village had arsenic content from 1.2-4.5 times higher than acceptable Ministry of Health standards.
A water sample taken from water source of Le Thi An’s family in Bai Thuy Village’s Hamlet 5 had the highest content of arsenic, at 0.044 miligrammes per litre.
Three people in An’s family have died of cancer so far.
Most local people in Bai Thuy use untreated well water.Le Thi Minh, head of Hamlet 5 said, “Despite being aware of substandard water, local people have no other choice but to continue to use this unsafe source due to the lack of alternatives. Some better-off families have built their own cisterns to hold rainwater for daily use or have bought water filters.”
Nguyen Van Si, Chairman of Dinh Lien Communal People’s Committee admitted the sharp rise in the number of people dying of cancer over the past decade.
“Local people are still waiting for solutions, but higher local authorities have done nothing to date,” he shared.
The provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment had proposed that the provincial government provide funding for treating arsenic-contaminated water in Dinh Lien after an inspection in 2007.
They also lobbied the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to deploy technology to deal with arsenic poisoning, but never received a response.
Le Thi An’s family water supply had the highest content of arsenic
Some better-off families have bought water filters
Le Van Ngoi, head of Dinh Lien communal clinic
