Silent Killer in Action: Arsenic Contamination in BangladeshHow to ensure safe drinking water

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Silent Killer in Action Arsenic Contamination in
Bangladesh-How to ensure safe drinking water

• Afifa Raihana

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Introduction

• Research QuestionWhat are the alternative ways
  to ensure safe drinking water for all in the
  arsenic prone areas,that is cheaper, less
  wasteful of resources, and better matched to the
  institutional,social and economic constraints
  evident in rural Bangladesh?

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Bangladesh overview

• Population 140 million
• Density 2000 per sq KM
• Literacy rate 41
• Per Capita income USD 360
• 53 of the population below poverty line
• 250 rivers
• Annual rainfall 5690 mm-1110mm

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Magnitude of the problem
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Historical perspective

• Mega success story, 90 of the population had
  access to safe drinking water
• 3 out of 4 Tubewells are
• Privately owned
• 62 out of 64 districts, 90
• m people exposed
• Due to As safe water access
• has dropped from 97 to
• 74

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Extent of the problem

• Bangladesh is facing the largest mass poisoning
  of a population in history because of arsenic
  contamination of its drinking water supplies.
• ------World Health Organisation (WHO, 2000)
• 100-1500 more arsenic in urine
• 98 patients had 100-150 more than permissible
  level in their skin

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Causes

• SourceArsenic is present in aquifer sediments
• Mobilisation Arsenic is released from the
  sediments to the groundwater
• Transport Arsenic is flushed away in the natural
  groundwater circulation
• Change due to time and depth
• Influence of pumping

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Unresolved questions

• Lack of consistent pattern
• Time taken for tubewells to get contaminated
• Why some are affected while others are not from
  the same family
• The signal concept
• Lack of integrated approach

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Arsenic Fact sheet

• Toxic semi metal, dangerous poison
• Insoluble in water, acid, alcohol
• Used as drug to cure syphilis, insecticide, glass
  processing
• It takes 5-10 years for symptoms to develop
• Arsenic water can be used for bathing and washing
• No medecine has been developed yet
• Severe arsenocosis leads to death only.

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Methodology

• Study AreaPubail, Tilchandripur, Araihazar
• Sample size 210
• Instruments 2 FGDs, questionnaire survey
• Data analysis
• Ethical considerations

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Health

• Thickening and blackening of skin
• Lesions on palm and sole
• Dots on entire body
• Kidney and lungs disorder
• Nausea and vomitting
• Gangrene
• Cancer of lungs, skin, urinary bladder
• Inflammation of the respiratory tract

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Social Impact

• Negligence and Exclusion
• Misconceptions
• Boiling purifies As water
• Gods curse, resultant of sin, act of evil spirit
• Arsenocosis is same as leprosy
• Tubewell water is safe as forefathers have been
  drinking it
• Immunization is enough to deal with arsenicosis
• Perceived Danger and Mental suffering
• Problems with marriage and married life
• Physical access power structure, negotiation

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Economic Impact

• Additional time spent in collecting water night
  time, distance
• Additional spending on water accessories
• Physical difficulties in income earning
• Occupational change
• Employment rejection and wage loss
• Decline in household consumption pattern selling
  of assets to meet demands
• Cost of treatment Food intake Vs medicine

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Policy makers Vs Victims

• Awareness campaign or testing?
• Red Green confusion, tubewell or not
• Introducing new poisons to kill one poison
• Turning the wheel of civilisation backwards
• Community VS Household

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Technological options

• Filters new tech,needs specialized knowledge,
  costly, sludge problem, availability, dripping
  technology

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Technology Contd.

• Tube wells low cost, low maintenance, household
  based,lifetime supply of safe water

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Technology contd.

• Rainwater harvesting costly, seasonal,preservatio
  n, no roof, taste, nutrition deficiency

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Technology contd.

• Dug Well geology, skilled masonry, not bacteria
  free

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Technology contd.

• Pond Sand Filter seasonality, discomfort in
  drinking pond water

• Piped Water Supply Bill, infrastructure

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Whos doing what?

• Ministry of LGRD
• Ministry of Health
• DPHE
• Department of Geology, Dhaka University
• NGOs
• Columbia University
• Harvard University

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Key findings

• 60 felt deeper tubewells are the best long
  term solution
• 50 felt govt should solve this problem and 30
  felt that the community should be responsible
• Only the farmers and the housewives felt the
  social discriminations
• Social class plays a significant role
• Mismatch between policymakers and victims

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Vested interest of various stakeholders

• Media
• Government
• UNICEF, World Bank, BGS
• NGOs
• Donors
• Private Sector
• Researchers

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Conclusion

• Long term policy planning
• Incremental changes
• Technological orientation
• Strong Communication Strategy TV
• Soft loan for victims
• Training of doctors
• Research, long term monitoring of technology,
  mapping
• Private sector
• Peoples Participation

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Thank You