砷是一類環境荷爾蒙，並可能引發烏腳病。台灣西南沿海地區曾有烏腳病流行之紀錄，該疾病與食用含砷的地下水有關。雖然當地民眾已幾乎不再食用地下水，但漁民卻引用地下水作為養殖之途。這些以地下水養殖之魚類已被證實含有過量的砷，但當地居民對現況之瞭解情形卻少有研究。本研究根據102位烏腳病疫區居民與50位非疫區大學生之問卷統計分析發現，無論烏腳病疫區居民或大學生對烏腳病、砷污染和環境荷爾蒙相關知識仍相當欠缺。其中烏腳病疫區居民對於「烏腳病－砷污染」關聯性的認識較強，但卻對「砷污染－砷毒性」的關聯性瞭解較弱；大學生則對「烏腳病－砷污染」關聯性的認識較弱，但卻對「砷污染－砷毒性」的關聯性瞭解較強。 Arsenic (As) is a kind of endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) and may cause the blackfoot disease (BFD), correlated with the consumption of groundwater by local inhabitants living in the coastal area, southwestern Taiwan. Nowadays most of the people living in this area do not use groundwater as potable water, but the groundwater is still used for aquaculture. The groundwater-cultured fish from this area have been evidenced contaminated with As. How the residents from the BFD area realize this risk remains unknown until now. Questionnaire was conducted to interview 102 residents from the BFD area, as well as 50 college students out of the area. The resulting data show that the residents from the BDF area and the college students have lack of the knowledge concerning BDF, As contamination and EDC. The residents from the BFD area have a better knowledge concerning the relation between BFD and As contamination than that of the college students, while the latter ones know better the relation between As contamination and As toxicity.
