Journal Article

Water sources and kidney function: investigating chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology in a prospective study

Shipley, Emma, Vlahos, Penny, Ha, Toan, Nanayakkara, Nishantha, Haider, Lalarukh, Staniec, Allison, Schensul, Jean J., Silva, Tudor, Hewavitharane, Pasan, Anand, Shuchi, Schensul, Stephen L., Hu, Chaoran, Chandrajith, Rohana, Diyabalanage, Saranga

2021

Overview

A chronic Kidney Disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) has emerged with disproportionately high prevalence across dry lowland agricultural communities globally. Here we present the results of a prospective cohort of 293 patients with CKDu in the endemic region of Wilgamuwa, Sri Lanka, in whom we measured baseline kidney function and undertook quarterly follow up over 2 years. Well water was the primary historic drinking water source in the region, although a majority (68%) of participants reported switching to reverse osmosis water during study follow ups. Participants who reported ever drinking from well water had estimated glomerular filtration rates −6.7 (SD: 2.8) ml/min/1.73 m 2 lower than participants who did not drink from well water historically ( p  = 0.0184) during the study period. Geospatial analysis identifies a cluster within the region where CKDu progression is significantly higher than the surrounding area. Samples of household wells ( n  = 262) indicated 68% had detectable agrochemical compounds with concentration above global water quality standards. It is expected that the detected contaminants compounds are indicators of poor water quality and that there is likely additional agrochemical exposure including commercial additives that may contribute to CKDu onset and/or progression. Thus, our study finds that well water exposure during a person’s lifetime in this region is associated with kidney function decline and identifies and quantifies putative nephrotoxic agrochemicals above safe drinking water concentrations in these wells.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 4014/4005 / 704/172/169/895 / 706/2805 / Additives / Agrarian society / Agrochemicals / Aquatic Pollution / Contaminants / Drinking water / Earth and Environmental Science / Environment / Etiology / Kidney diseases / Kidneys / Nanotechnology / Quality standards / Reverse osmosis / Spatial analysis / Waste Water Technology / Water Industry/Water Technologies / Water Management / Water Pollution Control / Water purification / Water quality / Water quality standards / Water Quality/Water Pollution / Well water