An Epidemiological Study of Symptomatic Morbidities in Localities Around Solar Evaporation Ponds and Behind Union Carbide Factory, Bhopal

Abstract

Background: Following Toxic gas leak in 1984 from Union Carbide Ltd. India’s Sevin manufacturing plant and resultant sudden closure, large number of chemicals were left unattended in plant premises. Concerned groups and population residing close by feared that these residual chemicals left over in plant and in solar evaporation ponds would percolate down to ground water and on consumption this toxic water would cause morbidities and may be mortalities among the population living in 14 localities settled around factory complex.

Methods and Procedures: Hence, an epidemiological study was planned to establish the cause and effect relationship between the allegedly present toxicants in water and the observed symptomatic morbidities. Tools like visit to the area, secondary data review on water analysis and cross sectional morbidities survey in population were used for this purpose.

Results: Through extensive review of literature it was found that there is no evidence to suggest that toxicants had reached either ground water or food chain in toxic doses. However, symptomatic morbidities survey did reveal statistically significant higher level of symptomatic morbidities among the resident living in affected localities in comparison to that of localities in control area.

Conclusion: From analysis it can be concluded that the higher symptomatic morbidities could be due to earlier toxic gas exposure, confounding effect of aging, poor socio economic standards and bad environmental / sanitation conditions found in slums, poor water quality at provider and consumer end and repeated misleading propaganda resulting in to self perceived morbidities.