Arsenic contamination in groundwater in rural Bihar
- A recent study has confirmed the presence of arsenic in food chain in Bihar through irrigation water.
- Three common eatables — rice, wheat and potato — have elevated levels of arsenic.
- The element increases the disease burden in exposed persons.
Arsenic
- Arsenic is a naturally occurring trace element found in rocks, soils and the water in contact with them.
- Arsenic has been recognized as a toxic element and is considered a human health hazard.
Effect of Arsenic on human health
- Long-term intake of arsenic contaminated water leads to arsenic poisoning or arsenicosis, with cancer of skin, bladder, kidney or lung or diseases of skin or blood vessels of legs and feet.
- Fresh evidence indicates possible association between intake of contaminated water to onset of diabetes, hypertension and reproductive disorders.
Permissible limits of Arsenic in drinking water
- World Health Organisation’s provisional guideline value for arsenic in drinking water - 0.01 mg/l (10 μg/l).
- Permissible limit of arsenic in India in absence of an alternative source - 0.05 mg/l (50 μg/l).
Groundwater contamination in India
- Arsenic contamination in ground water has been found in the states of Wets Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
- The occurrence of Arsenic in the states of Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh is in alluvial formations but in the state of Chhattisgarh, it is in the volcanic rocks.