HEALTH HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF WATER HARDNESS AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES. CASE STUDY FROM PORT-AU-PRINCE (HAITI)

Many studies have reported the existence of a relationship between cardiovascular mortality and hardness of drinking water In other studies, diagnoses of diseases studied were sometimes imprecise, with broad definitions that include both cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases. Other studies have shown that social factors, climate and environment can both significantly reduce or increase the apparent magnitude of the effect of water hardness. The most important conclusion, on water hardness and human health, is that magnesium in drinking water can prevent the death of an acute myocardial infarction.

In Haiti, the fundamental geological factor is formed by limestone, which covers two-thirds of the country area. Cardiovascular diseases are the 7th cause of death and represent 3% of total deaths. In the Metropolitan Area of Port-au-Prince (MAPP), the review of death certificates for the period 2000-2003, showed that the cardiovascular represent a third of reasons. Information on water quality used for supplying the MAPP shows that all spring waters sources have a total hardness greater than 200 mg/L, with some magnesium concentrations less than 6 mg /L. This work aims to study the relationship. between high calcium concentration, low magnesium concentration of MAPP water resources, and the high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in this region.