Arsenic contamination and its remedies
Water pollution is another curse of the advancing civilization. The water of the world's oceans, rivers, ponds, canals, etc. is being polluted in various ways. Heavy metals, halogen-fertilized hydrocarbons, carbon-dioxide, petroleum, synthetic radioactivity, and, above all, polluted liquids flowing through the sewers of adjacent cities are the main causes of marine pollution. Rivers that are used as a source of water sometimes contain up to 50 percent contaminated liquids or wastewater. Another name for pure water is life. But today Bangladesh is afraid of poisoning in that water. This is because arsenic contamination has occurred in the groundwater of Bangladesh and it is being considered as a serious threat to public health.
Many areas of the country are now in the grip of arsenic poisoning. Only 30 years ago, shallow tube wells were a blessing for the people of the countryside. Today, arsenic is a terrible poison in the water of many tube wells. Unknowingly, many have become addicted to poisonous water. There is no cure for arsenic poisoning. A limited study has so far identified about 10,000 patients with arsenic poisoning across the country. The real picture is more gruesome.
What are arsenic and arsenic contamination? : Arsenic is a semi-metal or by-metal of brittle nature with a grayish white color. Its chemical symbol is As, molecular number 33, molecular mass 74.92. In nature arsenic is found in abundance in the form of compounds. Arsenic is widely used in the manufacture of semiconductors, alloys and welders. Nature's arsenic is not harmful to public health in most cases.However, in recent times, man-made activities have increased the concentration of arsenic in the environment, and air, soil and water in different parts of the world have become contaminated with arsenic, causing a variety of serious health problems. Arsenic and arsenic compounds are being used in various ways for human welfare, but in excess of certain amounts it can be fatal. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the acceptable level of arsenic in drinking water in Bangladesh is 0.05 mg / liter. Therefore, we need to be aware of the horrors of arsenic at death.
Sources of arsenic: A small amount of arsenic is present in the human body, sea and soil. The amount of arsenic inside the soil is higher than the surface of the soil. There is a layer of rock beneath the soil and it contains a compound called ferrites Fes2. This compound holds arsenic in the rock. The highest amount of arsenic is in the rock and the earth. Here it is about 5.10 - 6 percent and in rock meteorites it is 2.10 - 3 percent. The main sources of arsenic are arsenic oxide, arsenic sulfide, arsenic yellow phalphide and arsenideIn geosynthetic reactions inside the soil, arsenic comes out of its nest and dissolves in water and rises to the surface of the earth with the help of tube wells or pumps.
Extension or contamination situation of arsenic in Bangladesh: Arsenic pollution is currently the most serious environmental pollution in Bangladesh. During a health camp at Rooppur village in Ishvadi, Pabna district, in June-July 1997, doctors at the Dhaka Community Hospital identified a number of arsenic patients and investigated the cause of arsenic in the groundwaterExcess is identified.After testing the water of about one and a half thousand tubewells across the country, the presence of arsenic was found in 45 percent of the water in 41 districts. According to a data published in 1999, about seven and a half thousand patients in Bangladesh have been diagnosed with arsenic cancer and the actual number is estimated to be in the millions. According to the data, about seven and a half crore people in Bangladesh, including about three crore people affected by arsenic, are currently at risk of arsenic. It is estimated from various surveys that out of 64 districts in Bangladesh, about 50 million people in 52 districts are at risk of arsenic related problems and at present the number of cases of arsenic related diseases in the country is around 4 million. The most polluted districts in Bangladesh are: Chandpur (90%), Monsiganj (83%), Gopalganj (69%), Madaripur (69%), Noakhali (69%), Satkhira (8%), Comilla (75%). And Bagerhat (80%). The least polluted districts are: Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Natore, Lalmonirhat, Patuakhali and Barguna. Nowhere in these districts did the amount of arsenic in groundwater exceed the tolerance limit. Therefore, we need to find a quick way to get rid of the horrors of arsenic at death.
Symptoms and treatment of arsenic poisoning: The normal level of arsenic in Bangladesh is 0.05 mg per liter. Prolonged exposure to arsenic-contaminated water can cause symptoms for two years or more. Arsenic is not only causing deadly diseases like cancer, it is also creating terrible disasters in social life. Marriage and family are breaking up. In many places, arsenic-infected patients are becoming more and more isolated. Children exposed to arsenic go to school and face social adversity. Arsenic is not contagious. But these terrible social disasters are being created by forgetting that. Arsenic disease is called arsenicosis. Symptoms of arsenic poisoning include:
1. Brown marks may appear on the body or palms of the hands.
2. Spotted pigmentation can usually be seen on the chest, back or arms. Which can later turn into skin cancer.
3. Many patients have leukomelanosis, white and black spots side by side.
4. Infected patients may also have mucous membrane melanosis on the tongue, gums, lips, etc.
5. The skin on the hands and feet of some people becomes thick, the fingers become crooked and numb. In addition, the toes can catch the head.
. Food digestion is disrupted and can lead to abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea and even diarrhea.
. The production of white and red blood cells in human blood may be reduced.
. Abnormalities in heart function may occur.
9. Blood vessels may be damaged. It may feel like boiling hot needles on the hands and feet.
10. Human fetuses can be damaged during pregnancy.
Remedy: The exact treatment for arsenic poisoning has not yet been discovered. Scientists have found that arsenic contamination is occurring at a depth of 25 meters to 120 meters underground. But arsenic contamination does not exist in aquatic polystyrene, especially at depths of 100 m to 200 m. Therefore, the main step in the supply of arsenic-free water would be to declare a complete ban on the extraction of water from tube wells at a depth of 25 to 120 meters. Here are some recommendations to rid Bangladesh of arsenic contamination:
1. Running campaigns to make people aware of the arsenic problem through national organizations or campaigns.
2. To make the people aware by identifying and testing the possible areas of arsenic contamination by providing the necessary knowledge and equipment for arsenic testing.
3. Establishment of adequate pure water plant to release water arsenic free.
4. Creation of Sand Pond Filters in villages.
5. Domestic filters, community based arsenic purification plants, deeper tube well installation.
. To provide clean water by installing arsenic free tube wells in the arsenic affected villages through cooperatives.
. Conserving rain water as drinking water. Bangladesh receives an average of about 2,000 mm of rainfall throughout the year. This rain water can be kept in the reservoir and used throughout the year. Already in Thailand such households are using water from reservoirs for about ten months of the year.
. Arsenic contamination will be less if boro paddy is cultivated in Rabi and Kharif instead of arsenic affected areas.
While arsenic contamination is not a major concern for the world today or for Bangladesh, it is no less important. This is because at the current rate, if the balance of the environment continues to deteriorate and the pressure on water continues due to the growing population, this issue may take a serious turn in the near future and it will become a threat to the health of the country's population. Therefore, it is necessary to take necessary steps at the public and private levels to prevent arsenic contamination immediately