Arsenic contamination in groundwater of Samta, Bangladesh

Abstract

In March 1997, we analyzed the water of all tubewells used for drinking in Samta village in the Jessore district, Bangladesh. It has been confirmed from the survey that the arsenic contamination in Samta was one of the worst in the Ganges basin including West Bengal, India. 90% of the tubewells had arsenic concentrations above the Bangladesh standard of 0.05 mg/l. Tubewells with higher arsenic concentrations of over 0.50 mg/l were distributed in the southern area with a belt-like shape from east to west, and the distribution of arsenic concentration showed gradual decreasing toward northern area of the village. In order to examine the characteristics of the arsenic distribution in Samta, we have performed investigations such as: 1) the characteristics of groundwater flow, 2) the distribution of arsenic in the ground, 3) the concentration of arsenic and the other dissolved materials in groundwater, and 4) the distribution of arsenic concentration of trivalence and pentavalence. This paper examines the mechanism of arsenic release to groundwater and explains the above-mentioned characteristics of the arsenic contamination in Samta through the investigations of the survey results for these years.

Barium inhibits arsenic-mediated apoptotic cell death in human squamous cell carcinoma cells

“…1a, b). These results of our Weldwork indicate that barium as well as arsenic was present in well water in Jessore and Faridpur where cancer including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is explosively increasing in patients with arsenicosis (Kurokawa et al 2001;Tareq et al 2003;Yokota et al 2002). Although the levels of barium in well water samples from arsenic-polluted areas were around 1/5 of the standard levels in the WHO health-based guideline, the standard has been decided by the toxicity of barium alone.…”

“…Development of cancer in patients with arsenicosis has been reported in those areas (Kurokawa et al 2001;Tareq et al 2003;Yokota et al 2002). We also selected Dhaka City (n = 46) as a non-polluted area.…”

Arsenite-Mediated Promotion of Anchorage-Independent Growth of HaCaT Cells through Placental Growth Factor

“…Measurements of arsenic in well water and measurements of urinary arsenic and PlGF Samples of well drinking water (n ¼ 15) and human urine (n ¼ 61) were collected in Samta and Tangra, previously reported cancerprone areas, Jessore in Bangladesh (Kurokawa et al, 2001;Yokota et al, 2002;Tareq et al, 2003). Details are described in Supplementary Informationonline.…”

“…To elucidate the relationship between arsenic exposure and PlGF in humans in vivo, we performed fieldwork studies in cancer-prone areas (Samta and Tangra, Jessore; Kurokawa et al, 2001;Yokota et al, 2002;Tareq et al, 2003) with arsenic-polluted well drinking water (mean±SD ¼ 261.6 ± 114.0 mg l À 1 ; n ¼ 15) and an unpolluted area (Pullerhat, Jessore) with well drinking water that was not polluted with arsenic (mean ± SD ¼ 2.8 ± 5.9 mg l À 1 ; n ¼ 10) in Bangladesh. Mean concentrations of urinary arsenic and PlGF in residents of Samta and Tangra were 482.6 mg g À 1 creatinine and 33.2 pg g À 1 creatinine, respectively, whereas those in residents of Pullerhat were 160.4 mg g À 1 creatinine and 17.7 pg g À 1 creatinine, respectively (Figure 1).…”

Natural organic matter and colloid-facilitated arsenic transport and transformation in porous soil media

“…to as much as 14,000 pg L' 1 (Karim et al, 1997). Arsenic is mobilized in groundwater by natural processes, which is an issue o f major environmental health concern (Khan et al, 2003;Stuben et al, 2003;Watanabe et al, 2001;Yokota et al, 2002). The source o f As in groundwater is geological in the Ganges basin of West Bengal, India and Bangladesh.…”