Article TItle: Arsenic in Drinking Water
Author: A. Mushtaque R. Chowdhury
Many people, especially children, in Bangladesh were dying from drinking surface water contaminated with bacteria. The solution was a tubewell: A simple, hardy, hand-operated pump that sucks water through a pipe from a shallow underground aquifer. Tubewells reduced the burden on women, who no longer had to travel long distances with pots and pails. They also reduced dependence on neighbors and most importantly, provided pathogen-free water to drink. There are over 10 million tubewells throughout the country. Around 30% of Bangladesh's tubewells contain more than 50 micrograms of arsenic per liter of water; 5% to 10% produce more than six times this amount. At least 35 million people, almost a quarter of the population, are drinking water. There is another concern for Bangladeshis because they are eating grain that is irrigated with pumped groundwater two or three times a day. The arsenic content ranges from 50 to 180 parts per billion (50 parts per billion is equivalent to 50 micrograms per liter. Even a few vegetables contain 100 parts per million of arsenic. Arsenic also occurs in water supplies in countries like China, India, U.S., Mexico and Chile. Arsenic in drinking water could poison 50 million people worldwide.
Drinking arsenic water can cause cancer and can lead to neurological and cardiovascular problems. To eliminate the arsenic problem, every tubewell in Bangladesh needs to be tested. The poorest regions should monitor and check the quality of their water constantly and not just for arsenic but also for pesticides, pathogens and other chemicals.
I never heard of arsenic in drinking water but I'm surprised it affects water supplies in America too. I feel very lucky to have safe drinking water and running water but other people take it for granted because they leave the faucets running or use the water to wash their car or water the grass. People need to realize the importance of water because in many countries, they don't have access to clean water. Luckily, more and more poor regions have access to water pumps or wells now. But the water sources could be contaminated; villagers need to be educated on how to test the water supply to see if it is safe or not. Checking the quality of the water constantly and teaching people how to check will reduce the amount of problems associated with drinking unsafe water. We could also raise money to help install more water wells and pumps in regions where people don't have access to clean drinking water. Everyone needs clean water, it is essential to survival.
Author: A. Mushtaque R. Chowdhury
- In the 1970s and 1980s the Bangladesh government undertook a project to bring clean water to the nation's villages.
- Too many children were dying of diarrhea from drinking surface water contaminated with bacteria.
- The solution was a tubewell: A simple, hardy, hand-operated pump that sucks water through a pipe from a shallow underground aquifer.
- Tubewells lessened the burden on women, who no longer had to trek long distances with pots and pails; reduced dependence on neighbors and most importantly, provided pathogen-free water to drink.
- There are over 10 million tubewells throughout the country.
- In 1983, dermatologist Kshitish C. Saha of the School of Tropical Medicine in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, had identified the skin lesions on some patients as arising from arsenic poisoning. He traced the mineral to water from tubewells.
- Over the next few years, environmental scientist Dipankar Chakraborti of Jadavpur University established that many aquifers in West Bengal were severely contaminated with arsenic. However, the British Geological Survey (BGS) conducted an extensive test of Bangladesh’s water supply in 1993 and pronounced it safe, not having tested for arsenic.
- Around 30% of Bangladesh’s tubewells yield more than 50 micrograms of arsenic per liter of water, with 5% to 10% providing more than six times this amount.
- The Bangladesh government identifies more than 50 micrograms per liter as being dangerous. The World Health Organization’s highest limit is 10 micrograms.
- At least 35 million, almost a quarter of the population, are drinking arsenic water.
- Bangladeshis are also eating grain that is irrigated with pumped underground water two or three times a day. The arsenic content in rice varies from 50 to 180 parts per billion (50 parts per billion=50 micrograms per liter. A few vegetables contain 100 parts per million of arsenic.
- Arsenic also occurs in water supplies in countries like China, India, Mexico, U.S., Chile. Arsenic in drinking water could poison 50 million people worldwide.
- Drinking arsenic water can cause cancer and can lead to neurological and cardiovascular problems.
- Arsenic occurs in shallow aquifers; aquifers deeper than 200 meters are believed to be uncontaminated.
- Every tubewell in Bangladesh needs to be tested; the poorest nations should check the quality of their water constantly and not just for arsenic, but also for pesticides, pathogens and other chemicals. Monitoring water must be a routine in every region where people drink underground water.
Many people, especially children, in Bangladesh were dying from drinking surface water contaminated with bacteria. The solution was a tubewell: A simple, hardy, hand-operated pump that sucks water through a pipe from a shallow underground aquifer. Tubewells reduced the burden on women, who no longer had to travel long distances with pots and pails. They also reduced dependence on neighbors and most importantly, provided pathogen-free water to drink. There are over 10 million tubewells throughout the country. Around 30% of Bangladesh's tubewells contain more than 50 micrograms of arsenic per liter of water; 5% to 10% produce more than six times this amount. At least 35 million people, almost a quarter of the population, are drinking water. There is another concern for Bangladeshis because they are eating grain that is irrigated with pumped groundwater two or three times a day. The arsenic content ranges from 50 to 180 parts per billion (50 parts per billion is equivalent to 50 micrograms per liter. Even a few vegetables contain 100 parts per million of arsenic. Arsenic also occurs in water supplies in countries like China, India, U.S., Mexico and Chile. Arsenic in drinking water could poison 50 million people worldwide.
Drinking arsenic water can cause cancer and can lead to neurological and cardiovascular problems. To eliminate the arsenic problem, every tubewell in Bangladesh needs to be tested. The poorest regions should monitor and check the quality of their water constantly and not just for arsenic but also for pesticides, pathogens and other chemicals.
I never heard of arsenic in drinking water but I'm surprised it affects water supplies in America too. I feel very lucky to have safe drinking water and running water but other people take it for granted because they leave the faucets running or use the water to wash their car or water the grass. People need to realize the importance of water because in many countries, they don't have access to clean water. Luckily, more and more poor regions have access to water pumps or wells now. But the water sources could be contaminated; villagers need to be educated on how to test the water supply to see if it is safe or not. Checking the quality of the water constantly and teaching people how to check will reduce the amount of problems associated with drinking unsafe water. We could also raise money to help install more water wells and pumps in regions where people don't have access to clean drinking water. Everyone needs clean water, it is essential to survival.