Ganga-Meghna Brahmaputra || West Bengal || Bangladesh || Middle Ganga Plain, Bihar || Uttarpradesh
Jharkhand || North-East Hilly States || Rajnandgaon, Chattisgarh || Behala, Kolkata, WB || As toxicity- Homeopathic Treatment
Effectiveness & Reliability - As Field Testing Kits || Utility Of Treatment Plant
Causes, Effects & Remedies - Groundwater As Calamity || References


Our study on
GROUNDWATER ARSENIC CONTAMINATION IN BANGLADESH (10 years study)

Reported work done by SOES-DCH




Our study on arsenic groundwater contamination status and sufferings of people in Bangladesh (10 years study )

Out of 20 major incidents of groundwater arsenic contamination round the robin , the magnitude is considered highest in Bangladesh. We began our work in Bangladesh during 1995. At that time we had identified only 3 affected villages in 2 police stations in 2 districts. Our current data shows arsenic level above 50 µg/l in 2000 villages, 189 police stations of 50 affected districts in Bangladesh.

The area and population of 50 districts of Bangladesh are 118849 sq. km and 104.9 million respectively. This does not mean that the population living in these areas are drinking arsenic contaminated water and will suffer from arsenic related diseases but no doubt they are at risk. A summary of our last 8 years survey report on Bangladesh is presented in Table. Figure shows the groundwater arsenic contamination status in different districts of Bangladesh.

We have so far analyzed 50515 hand tube-well water samples from Bangladesh by FI-HG-AAS, of which 43% contained arsenic above 10 µg/l and 27.5% arsenic above 50µg/l. Our estimation on the basis of 50,515 water samples analyses from Bangladesh shows that at least 32 million people are drinking arsenic contaminated water in Bangladesh above 50 µg/l. British Geological Survey (BGS) estimated that 35 million people in Bangladesh are at present drinking water contaminated with arsenic above 50 µg/l. So far we have screened 18991 people in Bangladesh for arsenical skin lesions from 244 villages and 3762 (19.8%) have been registered with arsenical skin lesions. Sub-clinically affected individuals were identified from our analyses of 11000 biological (hair, nail and urine) samples of people living in arsenic affected areas and on an average 89% of biological samples from arsenic affected districts of Bangladesh have arsenic above the normal level.

Table 2: Present Arsenic Groundwater Contamination Status in Bangladesh

Physical parameters Bangladesh
Area in sq. km 147,620
Population in million 122
Total number of districts 64
Total number of water samples analyzed 50515
% of samples having arsenic above 10 µg/L 43
% of samples having arsenic above 50 µg/L 27.5
Number of arsenic affected districts where groundwater contain arsenic above 50 µg/L 50
Population of arsenic affected districts in million 104.9
Area (in sq. km) of arsenic affected 50 districts where groundwater contain arsenic above 50 µg/L 118849
Number of arsenic affected Police Stations / Blocks 189
Number of arsenic affected villages (approx.) where groundwater contain arsenic above 50 µg/L 2,000
Number of people drinking arsenic contaminated water (above 50 µg/L) 32 million
Number of districts surveyed for arsenic patients 33
Number of districts where arsenic patients identified 31
People screened for arsenical skin lesions (preliminary survey) 18991
Number of registered patients having arsenical skin lesions 3762 (19.8%)
% of children having arsenical skin lesions of total patients 6.12
Total number of biological samples (hair, nail, urine, skin-scales) analyzed 11000
% of samples having arsenic above normal level (average) in biological samples 89%
People may be affected from arsenical skin lesions (approx.) * 9.6 million
* On the basis of number of tubewells having arsenic above 300 µg/L

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