Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater in Bangladesh

Abstract

Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh is a new environmental problem. Arsenic has recently been detected in high concentration in many delta regions in Southeast Asia. In Bangladesh the first patient suffering from arsenic poisoning was discovered in 1993. A subsequent investigation revealed that contamination is high in 268 of 465 Upozila in all. It is estimated that 3,500,000 persons are exposed to the potential of health hazard. The geological background is one of the causes of groundwater contamination, but the detailed mechanism has not been elucidated.

Here, I tried to define pollution damage and its causes in rural areas of Bangladesh. There are two gaps in our knowledge about arsenic damage: the area involved and the economic aspect. The change of groundwater use for irrigation and drinking has influenced the pollution problem. This indicates arsenic contamination is a complex process involving not only natural mechanisms but also human activity.