Abstract:
Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown Etiology (CKDu) is a major public health issue
worldwide, affecting most agricultural communities. The first sign of CKDu is increased
albumin excretion in the urine. CKDu has been most prevalent in the dry zone in Sri
Lanka over the last two decades. Despite the fact that many scientists have proposed
various risk factors, the primary cause of CKDu is still unknown. The purpose of this
study was to determine the spatial distribution of physiochemical parameters in water
in the DS divisions in Monaragala district of Uva Province, Sri Lanka, and interpolate
with CKDu. Sixty-six water samples were collected from dug wells and tube wells
representing groundwater, reservoirs, rivers, and tanks representing the surface water.
pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Alkalinity, Total
Hardness, Major Cations (Na, K, Ca, Mg), and Major Anions (Fluoride, Chloride,
Nitrate, Phosphate, and Sulfate) were analyzed using standard methods and compared
with water quality standards. The spatial distribution of water quality parameters was
developed by the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) tool, and the CKDu patients’ distribution
map was also developed in ArcMap 10.8 software. According to the comparison
with the water quality standards, total hardness, total alkalinity, fluoride, chloride,
nitrate, phosphate, Ca, and Mg were found to be at higher levels than standards. The
distribution of CKDu patients in the map was overlapped by the above parameter
distributions, which indicates that water quality has a significant impact on CKDu
prevalence in the Monaragala district of Sri Lanka.
