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Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a form of groundwater pollution which is often due to naturally occurring high concentrations of arsenic in deeper levels of groundwater. It is a high-profile problem due to the use of deep tube wells for water supply in the Ganges Delta, causing serious arsenic poisoning to large numbers of people. A ...
Arsenic poisoning (or arsenicosis) is a medical condition that occurs due to elevated levels of arsenic in the body. [4] If arsenic poisoning occurs over a brief period of time, symptoms may include vomiting , abdominal pain , encephalopathy , and watery diarrhea that contains blood . [ 1 ]
Throughout Bangladesh, tube wells get tested for concentrations of arsenic. [51] Those tubewells with arsenic below 50 μg/L (ppb) are painted green and those above this level are painted red. This communicates the water quality to those vulnerable to exposure so they can make informed decisions when switching to other water sources. [11]
The metalloid arsenic can occur naturally in groundwater, as seen most frequently in Asia, including in China, India and Bangladesh. [7] In the Ganges Plain of northern India and Bangladesh severe contamination of groundwater by naturally occurring arsenic affects 25% of water wells in the shallower of two regional aquifers .
These tube wells, however, reached the arsenic-contaminated groundwater. This issue is more prevalent in inland areas [21] and for rural areas, where 97% of the population uses tube wells. [25] Health effects of consumption of arsenic-contaminated water include skin pigmentation changes and lesions, which could be a precursor to skin cancer.
Extensive arsenic contamination of groundwater has led to widespread arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh [137] and neighboring countries. It is estimated that approximately 57 million people in the Bengal basin are drinking groundwater with arsenic concentrations elevated above the World Health Organization 's standard of 10 parts per billion (ppb ...
The introduction of tube wells has led to major arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh. [2] High concentrations of arsenic occur naturally in the soil in some areas of Bangladesh. Advantages of tube well irrigation
Arsenic is a moderately abundant element in Earth's crust, and although many arsenic compounds are often considered highly toxic to most life, a wide variety of organoarsenic compounds are produced biologically and various organic and inorganic arsenic compounds are metabolized by numerous organisms.