Report by the Central Groundwater Authority in the matter of Suo Moto arsenic found in groundwater in 25 states dated November 18, 2024. When the matter was listed before the NGT, August 7, 2024, wherein CGWA stated that the reports from seven states/UTs namely Maharashtra, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Tripura, Gujarat, Odisha …
In September 2003, the Bureau of Indian Standards set the desirable limit of arsenic in drinking water as 0.01 mg/l. This is in consonance with the standard recommended by the World Health Organization (who) and the us-Environmental Protection Agency (epa). However, in a recent paper (
iron deposits on the roots of rice plants can block their uptake of arsenic, as per scientists from China. The findings could help researchers breed rice varieties that are able to resist contamination. Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a key public health problem in India and Bangladesh. The toxin even …
ironite, a widely used fertiliser in the us, releases enough of lead and arsenic in standard leaching tests to be classified as a hazardous waste. Moreover, its heavy metals are
Arsenic in groundwater is becoming a difficult problem in many parts of the country. Many blame Jal Nigam officials and the public engineering department for the malaise. But this is quite akin to finding convenient scapegoats when the problem is actually quite complex. The point is people need groundwater: both …
When Neena Khanna from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences called to tell us that her patient who lives in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh had high levels of arsenic in his blood, hair and nails, we were stunned. Why Ballia? We knew of arsenic in West Bengal and …
Dinanath Singh has a cancerous wound on his left foot from which blood and pus continuously ooze. He has black and white spots (lesions) all over his body. The 61-year-old also suffers from skin cancer. Two fingers of his left hand had developed ulcers and had to be amputated. His …
In July 2004, the Union ministry of water resources was asked a question in parliament on the extent of contamination of water by arsenic and fluoride. The ministry replied that arsenic had affected the following eight districts of West Bengal
The government deigns to recognise the arsenic problem only in West Bengal and one district of Bihar. But recent studies prove the presence of the contaminant in several other states too: Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. As early as 1991, the Jadavpur University of West Bengal and the United …
There is no doubt that arsenic is present in Ballia. But why is it there? Is there anything common between the geology of this place and West Bengal, or any other affected area? Why aren't natural arsenic poisoning cases reported from Delhi or Mumbai on a widescale? Why are most …
It is one thing for scientific theories on arsenic contamination to conflict with each other. But it is another when it plays out in real life. We know that arsenic interweaves with the geology and hydrology of the place where it is found, or not. It is also known that …
with the menace of arsenic contamination in groundwater continuing unabated in Bangladesh and India, reuse of surface waterbodies has been proposed as a way out. These waterbodies were abandoned in the past because of bacterial contamination owing to poor sanitation practices. Instead of cleaning them up, the officials had propagated …
a new study is yet another evidence of the Damodar valley facing a health and environmental apocalypse thanks to the lackadaisical attitude of the officials. The research, conducted by Nitish Priyadarshi of Jharkhand-based Ranchi University, proves that coal mined in the region contains substantial levels of arsenic, which is leaching …
air stinkers: Harmful smog can form inside homes through reactions between air-fresheners and the ozone pollutant, indicates findings of researchers from the US Environmental Protection Agency. The reactions generate formaldehyde, classed as a probable carcinogen, and related compounds that many experts believe are responsible for respiratory problems. touch and infect: …
Arsenic has contaminated groundwater in over 12 districts of Pakistan's Punjab and Sindh provinces. The groundwater of the region was declared "dangerous' by the Pakistan Council for Research on Water Resources, which has conducted detailed studies and sub-soil water analysis in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Arsenic …
Victims of arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh have suffered a major setback, with the Court of Appeals in London ruling that the British Geological Survey (BGS) is not responsible for their plight. Consequently, the May 2003 decision of the High Court in London, which said that the BGS has a duty …
a recent study proffers yet another rationale for not consuming chicken. As per its findings, the foodstuff is not only laced with antibiotics, but is also full of carcinogenic arsenic. The arsenic contamination is higher than what was previously estimated
excessive use of pesticides, rodenticides and fertilisers is chiefly responsible for the arsenic crisis in West Bengal and Bangladesh. This controversial theory has been recently proposed by P K Sikdar and S Banerjee of the Kolkata-based Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, and the Centre for Study of …
a homoeopathic medicine prepared from arsenic oxide could ease the suffering of millions of people at risk from arsenic poisoning. Researchers from West Bengal-based University of Kalyani have developed the antidote called arsenicum album. Its microdoses not only remove arsenic from the body, but they also have the ability to …
The problem of natural contamination of groundwater with highly toxic poisons like arsenic and fluoride is here to stay. The million-dollar question is: Is there a way out for this global problem? Most of the techniques used by developed nations remove arsenic and fluoride from drinking water at the treatment …
a recent find may prove to be the miracle of ingenuity to combat the menace of arsenic. Researchers from Australia's La Trobe University have unearthed 13 bacterial strains that convert arsenite present in water into arsenate. "Arsenite and arsenate are the two soluble forms of arsenic. Arsenite is 100 times …
