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Assessment of Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater and Health Problems in Bangladesh

Author

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  • Md. Khalequzzaman

    (Department of Geology & Physics, Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, PA 17745, USA)

  • Fazlay S. Faruque

    (Office of Research, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216, USA)

  • Amal K. Mitra

    (Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Box 5122, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA)

Abstract

Excessive amounts of arsenic (As) in the groundwater in Bangladesh and neighboring states in India are a major public health problem. About 30% of the private wells in Bangladesh exhibit high concentrations of arsenic. Over half the country, 269 out of 464 administrative units, is affected. Similar problems exist in many other parts of the world, including the Unites States. This paper presents an assessment of the health hazards caused by arsenic contamination in the drinking water in Bangladesh. Four competing hypotheses, each addressing the sources, reaction mechanisms, pathways, and sinks of arsenic in groundwater, were analyzed in the context of the geologic history and land-use practices in the Bengal Basin. None of the hypotheses alone can explain the observed variability in arsenic concentration in time and space; each appears to have some validity on a local scale. Thus, it is likely that several bio-geochemical processes are active among the region’s various geologic environments, and that each contributes to the mobilization and release of arsenic. Additional research efforts will be needed to understand the relationships between underlying biogeochemical factors and the mechanisms for arsenic release in various geologic settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Md. Khalequzzaman & Fazlay S. Faruque & Amal K. Mitra, 2005. "Assessment of Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater and Health Problems in Bangladesh," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 2(2), pages 1-10, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:2:y:2005:i:2:p:204-213:d:2731
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. S. K. Acharyya & P. Chakraborty & S. Lahiri & B. C. Raymahashay & Saumyen Guha & Amitava Bhowmik, 1999. "Arsenic poisoning in the Ganges delta," Nature, Nature, vol. 401(6753), pages 545-545, October.
    2. Farhana S. Islam & Andrew G. Gault & Christopher Boothman & David A. Polya & John M. Charnock & Debashis Chatterjee & Jonathan R. Lloyd, 2004. "Role of metal-reducing bacteria in arsenic release from Bengal delta sediments," Nature, Nature, vol. 430(6995), pages 68-71, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. J. Wren Tracy & Amy Guo & Kaida Liang & Jamie Bartram & Michael Fisher, 2020. "Sources of and Solutions to Toxic Metal and Metalloid Contamination in Small Rural Drinking Water Systems: A Rapid Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-18, September.
    2. Danuta Leszczynska & Hafiz Ahmad, 2006. "Toxic Elements in Soil and Groundwater: Short-Time Study on Electrokinetic Removal of Arsenic in the Presence of other Ions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 3(2), pages 1-6, June.

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