Arsenic in Drinking Water
Bangladesh
Helen M. Lang
West Virginia University
Bangladesh
West
Bengal
BANGLADESH
National Geographic – MapMachine nationalgeographic.com/maps
National Geographic - MapMachine
Bangladesh Topography
Geology.com –
Bangladesh
g
satellite image
Ganges River and Delta
HIMALAYAS
Acharya, et al., 1999
Extent of Flooded Area
Bangladesh Floods Frequently
Family’s Makeshift House – after 2004 flood
Devastating Floods
Mother w/ Baby– 2004 flood
“If he falls, he drowns!”
Girl in schoolyard – 2004 flood
Drinking water supplies
• Surface water is contaminated by bacteria
• Caused acute gastrointestinal disease and
death among infants and children
• In the 1970s UNICEF installed tube-wells
t provide
to
id ““safe”
f ” source off drinking
d i ki water
t
• Unfortunately, water was not tested for
arsenic
• Arsenic contamination confirmed in 1993
Symptoms of Arsenic Poisoning
• Hyperpigmentation – upper chest and
arms
• Keratoses on soles of feet and palms of
hands
Hyperpigmentation – upper chest
and
d arms
Keratoses –
soles of feet and
palms of hands
Probability of As >
50 μg/l
(from Arsenic Crisis
Information Center)
Area with
Community Wells
http://bicn.com/acic/
Long-term
Long
term Health Effects
Strategies to reduce exposure
• Identify clean (As-free) tube wells (red-green
code)
• Filtration systems – candle filtration system
• Chemically
Ch i ll remove arsenic
i ffrom d
drinking
i ki water
t
– add chemicals, wait for solids to settle
– must do daily treatment, dispose of sludge
• Treat surface water by filtration and
chlorination
• Close highly
g y contaminated wells ((if alternative))
• New wells, rain-water harvesting
Diagnosis and Treatment
• Measure As in wells
– Simple field measuring kits
• Hyperpigmentation, especially on upper
chest and arms
• Keratoses on palms of hands and soles of
f t – easily
feet
il iinfected
f t d
• Skin cancer and non-malignant skin lesions
• Treatment simple – provide As-free water
– Chelation therapy
py –ingest
g
chemical that binds As
Lessons learned
•
•
•
•
•
Always test water supplies for Arsenic
Continuous monitoring and education
U simple,
Use
i l ffamiliar,
ili existing
i ti ttechnologies
h l i
Use local NGOs
Respond quickly, no time for conclusive
research
Community Wells & Tube Wells
Van Geen and others, 2003, Bulletin WHO
Community Well Characteristics
Van Geen and others, 2003, Bulletin WHO
Community Well Usage
Van Geen and others, 2003, Bulletin WHO
Mohammed Yunus and Grameen
B k win
Bank
i N
Nobel
b lP
Peace P
Prize
i 2006
Grameen Bank gives microcredit to poor rural people in Bangladesh
Bangladeshi carpenter in backyard shop
Financed by microloan from Grameen Bank – USA Today 10/13/2006
Muhammad Yunus created considerable
controversy
t
for
f lending
l di money tto women.
97% of Grameen Bank loans have gone to women!
Loans average $200, very low interest.