Groundwater arsenic contamination and suffering of people in Bangladesh

The total area and population of Bangladesh are 148,393 km(2) and 120 million respectively. We have been working in Bangladesh for about 3 years. To date, we have analysed 9089 water samples collected from 60 districts and found arsenic concentrations in 41 districts to be above 50 mu g/l. The area and population of these 41 districts are 89,186 km(2) and 76.9 million respectively. This does not mean the total population in these 41 districts are drinking contaminated water and suffering from arsenicosis, but no doubt they are at risk About 3000 each of hair and nail samples from people living in arsenic-affected villages (including patients) have so far been analysed and 97% of the hair samples contain arsenic above the toxic level and 95% of the nail samples contain above the normal level. Out of the 41 districts where arsenic has been found above 50 mu g/l we have, so far, surveyed 22 districts for arsenicosis patients, and in 21 districts we have identified people suffering from arsenic-induced skin lesions. We have examined, at random, in these affected villages 6973 people including children, and out of them, 33.1% are found to have arsenical skin lesions. The School of Environmental Studies has worked for the last 10 years in West Bengal. It appears that the arsenic calamity in Bangladesh may be more severe than in West Bengal. To combat the situation, Bangladesh needs a proper utilization of its vast surface and rain water resources. Proper water resource management is a proposed solution.