Groundwater Contamination in Bangladesh: Causes, Effects, and Remediations

Abstract

Environmental scientist Dipankar Chakraborti captures the lack of understanding among the Bangladesh population to the severity and occurrence of arsenic contamination. Though arsenic patients are generally documented from 1983 onward, surveys indicate unusual occurrences of skin lesions from 1965. One man from Calcutta reports losing six of his nine affected family members as dying to cancer from arsenic related causes (Chakraborti et. al., 2002). The discovery of arsenic in groundwater has exacerbated the health problems and shortage of sanitary water in Bangladesh. Recent studies have discovered the extent and causes of poisoning, but the government has failed to take effective measures to mitigate this growing problem. This paper addresses the causes, occurrences, and effects of arsenic contamination as well as remediations for both removal and management. [From Introduction]