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Arsenic in groundwater ofWest Bengal, India: A review of human health risks and assessment of possible intervention options

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Title Arsenic in groundwater ofWest Bengal, India: A review of human health
risks and assessment of possible intervention options
 
Creator Bhowmick, Subhamoy
Pramanik, Sreemnta
Singh, Payel
Mondal, Priyanka
Chatterjee, Debashis
Nriagud, Jerome
 
Subject Environmental Health
Water Pollution
Water Treatment
 
Description This paper reviews howactive research inWest Bengal has unmasked the endemic arsenismthat has detrimental
effects on the health of millions of people and their offspring. It documents howthe pathways of exposure to this
toxin/poison have been greatly expanded through intensive application of groundwater in agriculture in the regionwithin
the Green Revolution framework. A goal of this paper is to compare and contrast the similarities and
differences in arsenic occurrence in West Bengal with those of other parts of the world and assess the unique
socio-cultural factors that determine the risks of exposure to arsenic in local groundwater. Successful intervention
options are also critically reviewedwithemphasis on integrative strategies that ensure safewater to the population,
proper nutrition, and effective ways to reduce the transfer of arsenic from soil to crops. While no
universal model may be suited for the vast areas of the world affected with by natural contamination of groundwater
with arsenic, we have emphasized community-specific sustainable options that can be adapted. Disseminating
scientifically correct information among the population coupled with increased community level
participation and education are recognized as necessary adjuncts for an engineering intervention to be successful
and sustainable.
 
Publisher Elsevier
 
Date 2018
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Identifier http://neeri.csircentral.net/1190/1/Bhowmick%20et%20al.%2C%202018.pdf
Bhowmick, Subhamoy and Pramanik, Sreemnta and Singh, Payel and Mondal, Priyanka and Chatterjee, Debashis and Nriagud, Jerome (2018) Arsenic in groundwater ofWest Bengal, India: A review of human health risks and assessment of possible intervention options. Science of the Total Environment, 612. pp. 148-169. ISSN 0048-9697, ESSN: 1879-1026
 
Relation http://www.elsevier.com/locate/scitotenv
http://neeri.csircentral.net/1190/