Cations and anions in drinking water as putative contributory factors to endemic goitre in Plateau State, Nigeria.

The prevalence of endemic goitre in Plateau State, Nigeria was established and an attempt was made to identify some of the possible environmental goitrogenic agents in the region to establish their likely relationship with the goitre endemicity. Iodine deficiency appears to be a major aetiological factor for the disease as indicated by low iodine levels observed in portable drinking water and in daily urinary excretion. The carbonate (CO3-) content of drinking water supply was found to bear a significant positive correlation with the goitre rate for the entire state (p less than 0.005). The calcium (Ca++) and magnesium (Mg++) levels of the drinking water also exhibited relatively good linear direct correlations with the percentage goitre distribution in a region, nearly 2/3 of the state. It is concluded that there is possibly an interplay of several factors and in particular the carbonate content of drinking water which, in association with a state of iodine deficiency, may be regarded as responsible for the goitre endemic seen in this part of the Continental Africa.