Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108984

Ileana M. Prejbeanu, MD, PhD¹, Florinel Badulescu, MD, PhD², and Ioan Berila, MD, PhD¹. (1) Environmental Health Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, str. Petru Rares nr. 2, Craiova, Romania, + 40 251 591 448, ileana.manuela@rdslink.ro, (2) Oncology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, str. Petru Rares nr. 2, Craiova, Romania

During the communist government the agricultural lands of Dolj County (South-West Romania) were intensively fertilized. The environmental risks and the harmful impact on human health were ignored. Thus Dolj became one of the most nitrogenous polluted regions in the country according to the infant methaemoglobinemia average incidence, the annual frequency of the disease and the percentage of nitrates polluted wells. Purpose. To evaluate the dynamics of well water nitrates pollution around the 94 rural communities of the county after the communism breakdown (December 1989). Methods. We collected data concerning the fertilization level of agricultural lands from the local institutions and measured the nitrates and nitrites concentrations in 5076 well water samples. Results. The amount of nitrogenous fertilizers progressively decreased from 94.1 kg active substance/ha in 1990 (figures similar to the 1980s - 104.3 kg active substance /ha) to 65.6 kg active substance/ha in 2004. The calculation of the well water nitrates average concentration in the county underlines the decreasing evolution of these pollutants - from an average of 130.29 mg/L (95% CI=116.22-144.35) in 1990 to 56.25 mg/L (95% CI=50.1-62.41) in 2004 following a linear decreasing pattern (y = - 5.3589x +136.02). In comparison with the well water nitrates concentration in 33 villages of the county in 1979, our results emphasizes a significant decrease of these pollutants (p < 0.001). Conclusion. The decrease of the agricultural lands fertilization and thus the decreasing evolution of the nitrates concentration in wells have to be noted in Romania after 1989.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the agricultural lands fertilization as a serious environmental risk factor.
• Assess the interrelations existing among the environmental factors (soil, water and vegetable products).
• Define the well water nitrates pollution as an important risk factor for human health in rural communities.

Keywords: Drinking Water Quality, Rural Communities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.