Dr Matiur Rahman :
At present, arsenic has emerged as a serious public health problem in Bangladesh. Arsenic is a type of substance that is harmful to the human body. It has no colour, smell or taste in any corner. Arsenic is a type of chemical element. There is always a small amount of arsenic in the water. Whenever this level becomes higher than normal, this water produces various disease symptoms in the body of the user and later those symptoms lead to a severe stage of the disease.
According to Bangladeshi standards, arsenic levels in drinking water below 50 micrograms per litre are safe, although according to the World Health Organization (WHO), it should be less than 10 micrograms.
A report published in ScienceNews mentioned that around 220 million people across the globe may be at risk of drinking arsenic-contaminated groundwater. But this global catastrophe has been surpassed by arsenic contamination in Bangladesh. However, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) 2019 cluster survey, 11.4 percent of the country’s people drink arsenic-contaminated water. As such, about 20 million people in the country are drinking arsenic-contaminated water.
Due to the increase in groundwater abstraction, the level of pollution in the water is also increasing continuously. According to the standards set by the World Health Organization, if 1 litre of water contains 10 micrograms of arsenic, that water is contaminated. According to the standards of Bangladesh, if 1 litre of water contains 50 micrograms of arsenic, that water cannot be called safe water.
There is no up-to-date information on the number of people affected by arsenic poisoning in the country or their health conditions. In 2017, according to a report by Human Rights Watch with the data of the World Health Organization, the arsenic situation in Bangladesh is an example of the biggest ‘mass poisoning’ in the world. According to the report, 43,000 people die every year in Bangladesh due to arsenic poisoning.
This information was not then accepted by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). But it has not yet released accurate statistics on how many people die each year from arsenic. It is unfortunate, of course, that the DGHS does not have accurate statistics on the number of people in the country drinking arsenic-contaminated water.
Arsenic has been found in the water of tube wells in most parts of our country. People in different areas are getting infected with arsenic-borne diseases by drinking arsenic-contaminated water. Among the symptoms of arsenic exposure are small black spots on the skin of the body and hardening of the skin of hands and feet.
After staying like this for some time, some patients are at risk of developing skin and urinary bladder cancer. Liver and lung disorders can also occur in some people. Lung disease can cause coughing and shortness of breath. Many are unable to function properly due to weakness and shortness of breath. Weakness also occurs in the body.
These symptoms occur in three stages. The disease is slowly taking a deadly shape across the country. Therefore, measures should be taken on an urgent basis for the treatment of arsenic victims. Many people are living with this disease. Arsenic causes the kidneys, liver and lungs to enlarge. In some cases, the tumour may grow. The disease can also cause skin, bladder and lung cancer.
If we want to get rid of the arsenic problem, we must drink arsenic-free water. In this case, water from rivers, ponds, beels, etc. can be boiled for 20 minutes and then drink. In addition, even if rainwater is used, the adverse effects of arsenic can be avoided. Therefore, it is necessary to test the level of arsenic in the soil before installing tube wells.
Moreover, it is necessary to check whether there is arsenic in the water of old tube wells. If arsenic is found in the water of the tube well, the face of the tube well should be painted red. Water from these tube wells marked in red colour cannot be consumed. Boiled water containing arsenic should also be avoided. This is because boiling does not remove arsenic, but when the water dries up, the concentration of arsenic increases. So, arsenic is a silent killer but it is not contagious or hereditary disease. When the level of arsenic in the water is higher than normal, the body of the drinker produces symptoms of various diseases.
This is an old problem in the country and arsenic levels are still higher than normal in the groundwater of many regions. Unfortunately, the issue is not discussed as before. There is a huge deficit in the activities of the Directorate General of Health Services and Department of Public Health Engineering regarding the arsenic situation, the number of infected patients and their treatment. The arsenic situation in the country will not come under control if the government does not pay due attention.
Regions in the country where people are at risk of arsenic need to be identified very quickly. A proper action plan needs to be formulated on how to decontaminate the water of the region with arsenic. Many non-governmental organizations in Bangladesh are working to ensure arsenic-free water. Using various technologies such as filters, arsenic-free water is provided toordinary people and they are getting the benefit of drinking arsenic-free water. So government and non-government collaboration or initiatives need to address this serious public health problem.
(The writer is a researcher and
development worker).
