Arsenic contamination in groundwater and its associated health effects in Maner and Shahpur blocks of Bihar, India

摘要

This study tries to understand the associated effects on health of arsenic (As) contaminated drinking water. We conducted a primary survey of 388 households from two blocks in Bihar, India. A field test kit was used for testing the arsenic contamination level of household drinking water. From the water sample analysis, we found that 82.2% of households in the study area have poor water quality, while 72.4% of households have excess As concentration (more than 10 μg L~(-1)) in their drinking water. The mean As concentration was found 89.31 μg L~(-1). We investigated the arsenic symptoms prevailing at the households and found that arsenicosis cases (mainly skin diseases, thickening and roughness of palms and soles, and lever problems) are more severe among children and women compared to men.