What contaminants are most frequently found in ground water in Bangladesh?

Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh has been recognized as a major public problem.

What are the problems in groundwater in Bangladesh?

The Arsenic contamination in groundwater is increasing at an alarming rate. Today, in Bangladesh, an estimated 35–77 million people have been chronically exposed to Arsenic via drinking water. An estimated 25% of the wells exceed Arsenic levels according to the Bangladesh standard.

Why were tube wells dug in Bangladesh?

This paper describes the history of the discovery of arsenic in drinking-water in Bangladesh and recommends intervention strategies. Tube-wells were installed to provide ”pure water” to prevent morbidity and mortality from gastrointestinal disease.

How did arsenic get into the drinking-water in Bangladesh?

It seemed like a good idea—because rivers and ponds in Bangladesh were contaminated with bacteria, Bangladeshis switched to wells. Groundwater flow then brings the arsenic-rich water to the wells. Future wells dug deep enough, to the low-arsenic part of the aquifer, could help.

Why is arsenic so high in Bangladesh?

Sources of Arsenic in Groundwater in Bangladesh But it is now widely believed that the high arsenic levels in the groundwater in Bangladesh have a natural geological source which may be due to abstraction water from quaternary confined and semi-confined alluvial or deltaic aquifers.

What are the main sources of water in Bangladesh?

The sources of water in Bangladesh are surface water, groundwater and rainwater. The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system discharges huge amount of surface water through Bangladesh, a part enters into ground to form groundwater.

Is the water in Bangladesh safe?

Bangladesh has made significant progress regarding universal access to improved water sources, with more than 97 per cent of the population having access in 2013. But access to safe drinking water is still low at 34.6 per cent. Also, more than 41 per cent of people drink water from sources with faecal contamination.

What kind of contamination is there in Bangladesh?

In 1999, the British Geological Survey (BGS) and DPHE identified that the groundwater of 60 survey districts out of 64 was contaminated with As, which had also high levels of uranium, manganese, boron, sulphur, fluoride, molybdenum, barium and phosphate. Four districts—Khagrachari, Rangamati, Banderban and Cox’s Bazar have not been surveyed yet.

Why is groundwater in Bangladesh contaminated with arsenic?

Contaminated groundwater is also used for irrigation of paddy rice, which is the main staple food for the population. This practice enhances the level of As in the soils rendering them unsuitable for agriculture.

How are people affected by the water crisis in Bangladesh?

According to the WHO, the levels of arsenic have contributed to the largest mass poisoning in history, affecting an estimated 30-35 million people in Bangladesh. Exposure to arsenic can cause cancer and severely damage many integral systems in the human body.

How many water samples have been collected in Bangladesh?

To date, we have collected 10,991 water samples from 42 arsenic-affected districts in Bangladesh for analysis, 58,166 water samples from nine arsenic-affected districts in West Bengal.