Table 2.
Summary of study/research designs adopted in articles co-authored by earth and health scientists and other disciplines in arsenic in drinking water research (articles selected from those published between 1979 and 2013)
| Authors | Summary of research activities | Study designs |
|---|---|---|
| Peters et al. (1999) | Sampling water and rocks, and analysis of As content | Non-experimental–descriptive (field) |
| Kim et al. (2000) | Sampling of core soil samples and determination of total arsenic content using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer (GF-AAS) evaluating effects of ions on leaching of arsenic investigation of the role of bicarbonate ion in arsenic dissolution | Non-experimental–descriptive (field) and experimental |
| Exploration of effect of aerobic and anaerobic conditions on the rate of arsenic leaching | ||
| Elucidation on the effect of hydrogen ion concentration on arsenic leaching | ||
| Investigation of arsenic release from sandstone samples | ||
| Investigation of the influence of sodium bicarbonate and sandstone samples on the stability of arsenic species | ||
| Assessment of arseno-carbonate complex using ion chromatography | ||
| Matschullat et al. (2000) | Water, urine, soil, sediment and mine tailing samples were collected | Non-experimental–analytical (field) |
| Questionnaire was used to collect information on age, gender, place of birth, period of residence in sampling site, nutrition habits and health status of subjects | ||
| Arsenic, mercury and cadmium contents of samples were determined using atomic spectroscopy (e.g. flame AAS, HG-AAS and GF-AAS) | ||
| Van Geen et al. (2002) | Collection of water samples from 4997 tube wells, data gathered on number of tube wells, composition of household residents, date of installation and the depth of the wells using questionnaire, determination of well location using hand-held GPS and determination of total As concentrations using GF-AAS and high-resolution ICP—MS | |
| Non-experimental–descriptive (Field) | ||
| Reimann et al. (2003) | Collection of water samples from deep and shallow wells, springs, hot springs and rivers and determination of concentrations of 65 chemical elements (including F) using ion chromatography (for anion analysis), ICP–OES and ICP–MS to obtain quantitative data on elemental concentrations | Non-experimental–descriptive (field) |
| Hira-Smith et al. (2003) | Provision of technical assistance in terms of the engineering design and construction of hand dug wells | Classification not available |
| Van Geen et al. (2005) | Collection of groundwater samples from a total of 6874 wells from year 2000 to 2003 determination of arsenic concentration using field kits and laboratory instruments | Non-experimental–descriptive (field) |
| Ayotte et al. (2006) | Modelling of the likelihood that arsenic levels in bedrock wells are ≥5 µg/L using logistic regression | Modelling study |
| Dodd et al. (2006) | Determination of rate constants for the reactions of As (III) with oxidants such as free available chlorine (FAC), chloramine (NH2Cl), dichloramine (NHCl2) and ozone (O3) | Experimental |
| Calculation of stoichiometry of the reactions between As (III) and each oxidant | ||
| Hira-smith et al. (2007) | Measurement of total and faecal coliform counts in water samples collected from monitored dugwells using membrane filtration method determination of concentrations of 13 metals (including As) in the dugwells using flow injection atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) | Non-experimental–descriptive (field) |
| Jakariya et al. (2007) | Collection of water samples from particular tube wells in the study area analysis of As contents using the field kits and in the laboratory using HG–AAS determination of geographical coordinates of sampled wells using GPS receivers | Non-experimental–descriptive |
| Katsoyiannis et al. (2007) | Sampling of groundwater | Non-experimental–descriptive (field) |
| Determination of sulphate, chloride and nitrate, (NO3–N) using ion chromatography | ||
| Determination of total arsenic using hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometer (HG-AFS) | ||
| Determination of uranium, selenium and antimony using ICP-OES | ||
| Determination of alkalinity and total hardness by titration | ||
| Determination of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (Total-N) with a TOC analyser | ||
| Arsenic speciation studies | ||
| Kocar et al. (2008) | Digging of sample wells, collection of water samples from the sample wells and determination of As, alkalinity, and organic carbon contents of the water samples | Non-experimental–descriptive (field) |
| McKnight-Whitford et al. (2010) | Collection of groundwater samples and analysis of As contents using high-performance liquid chromatography–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC–ICPMS) | Non-experimental–descriptive (field) |
| Pearce et al. (2010) | Data gathering on children’s diet and leisure activity using questionnaire survey, collection of soil samples from study sites and toenail samples from the subjects (children), determination of As concentrations in soil and toenail samples, As speciation studies and statistical analysis of data | Non-experimental–descriptive (field) |
| Nagar et al. (2010) | Collection and characterization of Fe- and Al-based water treatment residual (WTR) samples | Experimental |
| Sample characterization for organic matter content, electrical conductivity, solution pH, etc. | ||
| As (V) sorption experiments in the absence and presence of competing ligands and complexing metal | ||
| Surface complexation modelling was done using constant capacitance model (CCM) to position As (V) sorption for both Al- and Fe-WTR surfaces in the single ion (As or P) and binary (As + P) systems, and statistical analysis of data | ||
| Fillol et al. (2010) | Urine and soil samples were collected | Non-experimental–analytical and descriptive |
| Questionnaires were used to collect data from subjects in sampling area | ||
| Creatinine concentrations in urine samples were determined | ||
| Chemical species of As and speciation studies in soil samples were undertaken | ||
| As content in urine, in soil and in atmospheric particulate matter were determined | ||
| Data on As concentration of water samples in the area were obtained from results from routine controls by the Direction Départementale des Affaires Santaires et Sociales (DDASS), an administrative body engaged in public health policy, immigration, disability and protection of the vulnerable in France (Santémédecine.net n.d.) | ||
| Statistical analyses of results | ||
| Wu et al. (2011) | Data collection on incidence of childhood diarrhoeal disease from records of an extensive Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) programme covering the study area, sampling of water from 10, 869 wells in the area, and determination of As contents using HG–AAS including field kits | Non-experimental–analytical (field) |
| Escamilla et al. (2011) | Use of secondary data from the HDSS programme survey of all tube wells, latrines and household locations | Non-experimental–analytical (field) |
| Van Geen et al. (2011) | Sampling of water from 125 wells determination of As contents measurement of precipitation and waters levels to indicate the rate of surface and groundwater recharge | Non-experimental–descriptive (field) |
| Bhattacharya et al. (2011) | Water sampling from 61 tube wells out of the 13,269 functional ones in the area, determination of As (total) concentrations in the sampled waters and analysis of As concentration data to comprehend the temporal and seasonal irregularities in dissimilar concentration ranges | Non-experimental–descriptive (field) |
| Maity et al. (2012) | Collection of 52 groundwater samples representing about 10% of the available tube wells in the areas using acid-washed 500-mL polyethylene bottles, collection of hair, toenails and urine samples from subjects determination of aggregate As content in groundwater, hair, nails and urine using a Fluorescence Atomic Analyser | Non-experimental—analytical (field) |
| Kozul-Horvath et al. (2012) | Adjusting mated mice to a rodent diet labelled AIN–76A, grouping of mated mice into control and exposure groups and exposure to different As doses (male mice were not exposed to As before mating), further grouping after birth of female mice in the control and exposure groups and exposure to different As doses total As concentrations were determined by ICP–MS | Experimental |
| Halder et al. (2012) | Collection of water, rice, vegetables and urine samples and determination of their As concentrations | Experimental |
| George et al. (2012) | Collection of water samples and determination of their As concentrations | Non-experimental–descriptive |
| Rango et al. (2012) | Sampling of groundwater, questionnaire survey and examination and of DF cases and determination of F, As, bicarbonate (HCO3 −), etc., contents of sampled water | Non-experimental–descriptive (field) |
| Asante et al. (2012) | Collection of water from boreholes, wells, spring, stream and tap and human urine samples Use of questionnaire to collect biodata from selected subjects | Non-experimental–descriptive (field) |
| Determination of pH and conductivity in water samples | ||
| Determination of concentration of various metals in water and urine samples using analytical instrumentation such as ICP–MS, AAS | ||
| Statistical analysis of results | ||
| Halder et al. (2013) | Data gathering using questionnaire-based survey analysis of rice samples eaten by residents of rural areas of West Bengal, India | Non-experimental–descriptive |