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Overview of Arsenic in Drinking Water

Overview of Arsenic in Drinking Water. Dr. Farzana Bashir SSO, CEPS, PCSIR Labs. Complex Lahore. What is Arsenic ? Natural element Metalloid Poisonous substance Insoluble in water in elemental form Soluble in water in salt form.

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Overview of Arsenic in Drinking Water

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  1. Overview of Arsenic in Drinking Water • Dr. Farzana Bashir • SSO, CEPS, • PCSIR Labs. Complex • Lahore

  2. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies What is Arsenic ? • Natural element • Metalloid • Poisonous substance • Insoluble in water in elemental form • Soluble in water in salt form

  3. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies • 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)

  4. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies Limit of Arsenic in drinking water World Health Organization (WHO) Standards 0.05 mg per liter (50ppb)

  5. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies Sources of Arsenic in Environment 1. Natural • Minerals • Soil • Weathering of rocks • Volcanic activity • In ocean animals and plants make organic arsenic compounds

  6. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies 2. Anthropogenic • Mining • Smelting • Power plants • Agricultural pesticides • Timber preservation chemicals • Fossil fuel burning • Industrial Wastewater

  7. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies 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

  8. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies 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

  9. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies Arsenic poisoning appears after 10 years of consumption as arsenicosis Can lead to:

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  13. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies 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)

  14. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies 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

  15. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies 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)

  16. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies 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)

  17. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies 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)

  18. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies 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.

  19. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies • 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.

  20. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies 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

  21. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies • Arsenic, drinking-water and health risk substitution in arsenic mitigation: A discussion paper World Health Organization • Arsenic contamination of groundwater From Wikipedia • Arsenic contaminated water threat to southern Punjab inhabitantsBy: Javaid-ur-rahman | Published: March 01, 2010

  22. Centre for Environmental Protection Studies Thank you for Your Kind Attention

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