Distribution characteristics of Kaschin-Beck disease in relation to geological environment of Zoige County

Abstract：Kaschin-Beck disease is a local endemic osteoarthritis disease. In the past 160 years, experts both in China and abroad have conducted much research work in this aspect and put forward hundreds of hypotheses on the cause of this disease; nevertheless, no final conclusion has been reached. Zoige County is one of the areas in China where the incidence of Kaschin-Beck disease is relatively high. Based on field investigation, geotechnical water sample test and some other researcher work conducted in the disease area, this paper has summarized the distribution of Kaschin-Beck disease as well as local natural environment and geological characteristics and discussed the distribution of Kaschin-Beck disease in relation to local lithology, soil, topography, geological environment, drinking water and some other factors. Some conclusions have been reached: bedrock lithology and soil parent material composition seem to be the basic factors responsible for the distribution of this disease; Se, Mo and Ba are lower in the disease area than in the non-disease area, whereas N, P, Pb and S are higher in the disease area; the disease area and the non-disease area do not show remarkable differences in degree of mineralization, hardness and humic acid content of the surface drinking water; Ce content is lower in the disease area than in the non-grave and non-disease areas. The factors causing the Kaschin-Beck disease are very complex, related not only to geological-geochemical environmental factors of rock, soil and water but also to food structure. The cause of this disease deserves further investigation.