overview of arsenic in drinking water

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Overview of Arsenic in Drinking Water

Dr. Farzana BashirSSO, CEPS, PCSIR Labs.

ComplexLahore

What is Arsenic ? Natural element Metalloid Poisonous substance Insoluble in water in elemental form Soluble in water in salt form

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Form compounds with oxygen, chlorine, sulfur, carbon, hydrogen, lead, gold, antimony and iron Inorganic: usually with oxygen, chlorine, or sulfur; most toxic (arsenite) Organic: usually with carbon or hydrogen (di-methyl arsonic acid)

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Limit of Arsenic in drinking water

World Health Organization (WHO) Standards

0.05 mg per liter (50ppb)

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Sources of Arsenic in Environment

1. Natural Minerals Soil Weathering of rocks Volcanic activity In ocean animals and plants make organic arsenic compounds

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2. Anthropogenic Mining Smelting Power plants Agricultural pesticides Timber preservation chemicals Fossil fuel burning Industrial Wastewater

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Human Exposure to Arsenic

1. Water Sea Water < River and Lake <

Ground Water

2.Food Rice, Vegetables

3.Air Remote, Rural areas< Urban,

industrial area

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Health Effects of Arsenic in Drinking Water

Skin problems Still birth Cardiovascular diseases Carcinogenic (lungs, bladder, skin, prostate, kidney, nose and liver) Slow down healing of injuries

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Arsenic poisoning appears after 10 years of consumption as arsenicosis Can lead to:

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Treatment of Arsenic Poisoning

Treatments are limited Consumption of only arsenic free water Zinc, Selenium, and Vitamin A for repair of the skin Chelation Therapy (Not proven to help patients)

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Natural Occurrence of Arsenic in Drinking Water

In Asia: Bangladesh, India, China, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Lao PDR, Nepal …

Elsewhere: Argentina, Canada, Hungary, Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua, Romania, USA

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Bangladesh Epidemic

UNICEF and other international organizations promote the use of “tube wells” for safer water supply in the 1970’s and 1980’s Arsenic wasn’t a known pollutant at the time Saved thousands of lives from microbial pathogens, but Resulted in high levels of arsenic in soil leached into water, , first confirmed in 1993 35-77 Million citizens at risk of arsenic poisoning (Out of a , , pop. of 125 Million)

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Arsenic in drinking water of Pakistan

Southern part of Punjab 1.3 million people (Multan, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh districts) Central Sindh (Khairpur Mirs And Dadu)

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Arsenic concentration in some areas of Punjab

• Multan (10-100 ppb)• Bhawalpur (10-70 ppb)• Ahmad Pur East (10-70 ppb)• Yazman (10-130 ppb)• Rahim Yar Khan (10-90 ppb)• Liaqat Pur (10-90 ppb)• Muzaffargarh (10-150 ppb)• Lahore (6 - 70 ppb)

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Recommendations

Monitoring and surveillance of water quality

Aquifer mapping, treatment and data base

To develop relationship of high rate of cancer

,,patients from those areas where arsenic level is ,,high

Give awareness about the state of drinking

water quality with particular reference to arsenic in rural areas.

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Establishing case diagnosis and treatment of , affected arsenocosis under health department

Development of cost effective water treatment ,,,,technologies for arsenic removal

Draw attention of masses, community workers, policy ,,,,makers, planners, academia, scientists, ,,,,researchers and students to the issue of ,,,,immediate concern.

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Refrences

• Scientific facts on Arsenic http://www.greenfacts.org/en/arsenic/index.htm

• Planners (ISoCaRP), The Netherlands (Pakistan Chapter)

• Institute of Geo-resources and Environment (GREEN), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan

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• Arsenic, drinking-water and health risk substitution in arsenic mitigation: A discussion paper World Health Organization

• Arsenic contamination of groundwaterFrom Wikipedia

• Arsenic contaminated water threat to

southern Punjab inhabitants By: Javaid-ur-rahman | Published: March 01, 2010

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