Transforming the arsenic crisis into an opportunity

摘要

Although unknown 25 years ago, natural arsenic contamination of groundwater has now emerged as a major global crisis, affecting over 50 countries around the world. The adverse health effects are, however, most prevalent in south and south-east Asia where over 200 million people, according to World Health Organization (WHO), are threatened with arsenic-inflicted health impairment (i.e., arsenicosis) caused by drinking contaminated groundwater1. The use of ground-water in these regions is favoured because of its easy availability due to natural recharging of the aquifers by significant rainfall, low salinity and absence of microbial contamination.