A detailed study was carried out in a cluster of villages known as Sagarpara Gram Panchayet (GP), covering an area of 20 km2 and population of 24,419 to determine the status of groundwater arsenic contamination and related health effects. The arsenic analysis of all hand tubewells (n = 565) in working condition showed, 86.2% and 58.8% of them had arsenic above 10, and 50 μg l−1, respectively. The groundwater samples from all 21 villages in Sagarpara GP contained arsenic above 50 μg l−1. In our preliminary clinical survey across the 21 villages, 3,302 villagers were examined and 679 among them (20.6%) were registered with arsenical skin lesions. A total of 850 biological samples (hair, nail and urine) were analysed from the affected villages and, on average, 85% of them contained arsenic above the normal level. Thus, many people of Sagarpara might be sub-clinically affected. Our data was compared with the international one to estimate population in Sagarpara GP at risk from arsenical skin lesions and cancer. Proper watershed management and economical utilization of available surface water resources along with the villagers' participation is urgently required to combat the present arsenic crisis.
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Research Article|
September 01 2005
Status of groundwater arsenic contamination and human suffering in a Gram Panchayet (cluster of villages) in Murshidabad, one of the nine arsenic affected districts in West Bengal, India
Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman;
Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman
1School of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700 032, India
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Mrinal Kumar Sengupta;
Mrinal Kumar Sengupta
1School of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700 032, India
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Sad Ahamed;
Sad Ahamed
1School of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700 032, India
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Uttam Kumar Chowdhury;
Uttam Kumar Chowdhury
1School of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700 032, India
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Dilip Lodh;
Dilip Lodh
1School of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700 032, India
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M. Amir Hossain;
M. Amir Hossain
1School of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700 032, India
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Bhaskar Das;
Bhaskar Das
1School of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700 032, India
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Dipankar Chakraborti;
1School of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700 032, India
Tel.:+91 33 2414-6233, Fax: +91 33 2414-6266; E-mail: [email protected]
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Kshitish Chandra Saha;
Kshitish Chandra Saha
2Retired Professor of Dermatology, School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata, 700 073, India
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Imrul Kaies;
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Imrul Kaies
3Dhaka Community Hospital, Dhaka, 1217, Bangladesh
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Ajoy Kishore Barua
Ajoy Kishore Barua
3Dhaka Community Hospital, Dhaka, 1217, Bangladesh
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J Water Health (2005) 3 (3): 283–296.
Citation
Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman, Mrinal Kumar Sengupta, Sad Ahamed, Uttam Kumar Chowdhury, Dilip Lodh, M. Amir Hossain, Bhaskar Das, Dipankar Chakraborti, Kshitish Chandra Saha, Imrul Kaies, Ajoy Kishore Barua; Status of groundwater arsenic contamination and human suffering in a Gram Panchayet (cluster of villages) in Murshidabad, one of the nine arsenic affected districts in West Bengal, India. J Water Health 1 September 2005; 3 (3): 283–296. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2005.038
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