Arsenic groundwater contamination and suffering

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

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[A] Physical parameters and present arsenic status in Bhojpur district of Bihar

Physical parameters	Bhojpur
Area in sq. km	2474
Population in million (according to 2001 Census)	1.80
Total number of block	14
No. of block surveyed and groundwater arsenic above 50 mg/L)	3
Number of arsenic affected block where groundwater arsenic above 50 mg/L	3
Total number of water samples analyzed	6317
% of samples having arsenic > 10 mg/L	38.08
% of samples having arsenic > 50 mg/L	19.87
% of samples having arsenic > 300 mg/L *	4.56
Number of Gram - Panchayet surveyed	44
Number of arsenic affected GP (approx.) where groundwater arsenic above 50 mg/L	30
Number of arsenic affected GP (approx.) where groundwater arsenic above 10 mg/L	36
Number of village surveyed	115
Number of arsenic affected villages (approx.) where groundwater arsenic above 50 mg/L	73
Number of arsenic affected villages (approx.) where groundwater arsenic above 10 mg/L	96
Total hair, nail and urine samples analyzed	603
Arsenic above normal level (average) in biological samples	82 % hair, 89 % nail, 91% urine
People screened for arsenic patients (preliminary survey)	1322
Number of registered patients with clinical manifestations	161

[B] Physical parameters and present arsenic status in Buxar district of Bihar

Physical parameters	Buxar
Area in sq. km	1624
Population in million (according to 2001 Census)	1.40
Total number of water samples analyzed	3,217
% of samples having arsenic > 10 mg/L	34.60
% of samples having arsenic > 50 mg/L	22.63
% of samples having arsenic > 300 mg/L *	6.15
% of samples having arsenic > 500 mg/L	2.49
Maximum arsenic concentration so far we analyzed (mg/L )	2182
Total number of block	11
No. of block surveyed	6
Number of arsenic affected block (approx.) where groundwater arsenic above 50 mg/L	5
Number of Gram - Panchayet surveyed	24
Number of arsenic affected GP (approx.) where groundwater arsenic above 50 mg/L	18
Number of arsenic affected GP (approx.) where groundwater arsenic above 10 mg/L	21
Number of village surveyed	77
Number of arsenic affected villages (approx.) where groundwater arsenic above 50 mg/L	50
Number of arsenic affected villages (approx.) where groundwater arsenic above 10 mg/L	63
Total hair, nail and urine samples analyzed	607
Arsenic above normal level (average) in biological samples	85
People screened for arsenic patients (preliminary survey)	649
Number of registered patients with clinical manifestations	158

[C] Physical parameters and present arsenic status in Katihar district of Bihar

Physical parameters	Katihar
Area in sq. km	3,057
Population in million (according to 2001 Census)	2.38
Total number of water samples analyzed	816
% of samples having arsenic > 10 mg/L	21.20
% of samples having arsenic > 50 mg/L	7.60
% of samples having arsenic > 300 mg/L *	9.77
% of samples having arsenic > 500 mg/L	0.37
Maximum arsenic concentration so far we analyzed (mg/L )	818
Total number of block	16
No. of block surveyed	3
Number of arsenic affected block (approx.) where groundwater arsenic above 50 mg/L	3
Number of Gram - Panchayet surveyed	7
Number of arsenic affected GP (approx.) where groundwater arsenic above 50 mg/L	4
Number of arsenic affected GP (approx.) where groundwater arsenic above 10 mg/L	6
Number of village surveyed	16
Number of arsenic affected villages (approx.) where groundwater arsenic above 50 mg/L	7
Number of arsenic affected villages (approx.) where groundwater arsenic above 10 mg/L	11
Total hair, nail and urine samples analyzed	NA
Arsenic above normal level (average) in biological samples	NA
People screened for arsenic patients (preliminary survey)	NA
Number of registered patients with clinical manifestations	NA

*During our last 20 years field experience in West Bengal and 10 years in Bangladesh we have observed that ingestion of arsenic contaminated water with 300 mg/L for prolonged period may cause arsenical skin lesions. We also described in our earlier paper.

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