Groundwater arsenic mitigation in Bangladesh: Mission achievable or impossible?

摘要

Arsenic mitigation is still the main challenge in Bangladesh for providing access to safe water today although about two decades have passed since the first detection of arsenic above the drinking water permissible limit in Bangladesh in 1993. Various projects of varying sizes have been implemented by government and non-government agencies but in 2009 about 5.6,22 and 35 million people are exposed to >200, >50, >10 μg L~(-1) As in drinking water emphasizing that arsenic mitigation is far from complete in the country. Also elevated concentrations of arsenic in irrigated water pose risk of yield reductions well as further route of exposure to human bodies through food chain. Despite adaptation of a national policy for arsenic mitigation and recognizing arsenic mitigation as a serious national issue by two major political parties in Bangladesh, a pragmatic approach with huge investment is needed to achieve the goal providing safe water for all. However, the irrigation and food chain issues make the task almost impossible.