Arsenic in drinking water

Your Name
Abstract
Arsenic is a common pollutant present in water and WHO has prescribed that arsenic more than
10 μg /L present in water is dangerous for health. The report studied the causes of arsenic in
water that were both natural and industrial. He report further looked into the health impact of
arsenic in water and found that arsenic in water is an important source of different types of
cancers including skin, lungs, and bladder cancer etc. Arsenic is water was also seen to be
contributing dental problems in people. The report also examined different ways including
natural and artificial ways of removing arsenic from water. Results from many scholarly articles
are cited to report their findings. Lastly, presence of arsenic in different regions of world
including Myanmar, and US is reported. The report is concluded by summarizing the findings of
study in conclusion.
Introduction
1. Arsenic in drinking water
Arsenic is a common element that is found naturally in rocks and soils and is used for a number
of industries and agriculture. Arsenic is present in both organic and inorganic forms in soil and
inorganic arsenic is the most toxic form when present in water and food. It is also a byproduct of
the smelting of copper, mines and coal. Arsenic can be used to make pesticides for wood
protection and killing insects on cotton and other agricultural crops in conjunction with other
components. (National Research Council, 1999)
Arsenic can reach the water system from natural deposits in the soil or from industrial and
agricultural contamination. It is generally accepted that naturally occurring arsenic dissolves out
of some rock layers as ground water levels drop dramatically. Some of the factories in the United
States and in other parts of the world dump thousands of pounds of arsenic into the atmosphere
per year. When released, arsenic persists in the atmosphere for a long time. Rain, snow, and
eventual settlement eliminate arsenic from the climate. Arsenic can slowly penetrate ground
water on the ground or in surface water. Any arsenic containing fertilizers used in the past or
industrial waste may create high levels of arsenic in private wells. It can also mean in the past
that chemical fertilizers or herbicides have not been adequately engineered or overused. (Arsenic
and Drinking Water, 2015)
In water, As (V) or more prevalent arsenate is the most common valence state in aerobic surface
waters and As (III) or more commonly known as Arsenite is present in anaerobic ground-water.
The prevailing As (III) compound is responsible for the pH range of 4 to 10 when the As (V)
species are adversely charged. As (III) removal efficiencies are low in contrast with As (V),
when calculated by some technology because of negative charges. (Arsenic in drinking water,
1999)
2. Physicochemical parameters in drinking water
Water can dissolve many substances, including organic and inorganic compounds, as a universal
solvent. The inconceivability of water in its purest form can be calculated by this excellent
property of water. Water quality refers generally to the water aspect that has the maximum
degree at which plants and animals grow properly. Aquatic species must survive with a stable
atmosphere and ample nutrients to grow them; productivity may depend on the water body's
physical and chemical characteristics. Only when physical and chemical parameters are usable at
optimum level will optimal efficiency be reached. Water for human use has to be free of the use
of organisms and toxic compounds.
Owing to the human population, industrialization, and pesticide use in agriculture and human
activities the contamination of waterways is rising. The growth of living organisms in the water
body is determined by parameters such as temperature, turbidity, nutrients, hardness, alkalinity,
dissolved oxygen, etc. Therefore, the measurement of water quality includes study of physical,
biological and Microbiological criteria that represent the ecosystem's biological and abiotic
status. (Solanki, 2015)
3. Mineral forms of arsenic
There are about 200 mineral species, of which, Arsenic is the main constituent. Roughly 60% of
them are arsenates, 20% sulfides and sulfur-salts and the other 20% are made up of arsenide,
arsenite, oxides, silicates and elemental. In certain mineral deposits and in particular the sulfide
minerals, arsenic is present. In iron pyrite, galena, and chalcopyrite and in sphalerite, it is less
natural. Arsenopyrite, FeAs, is the most abundant mineral of arsenic. Arsenic is used as a gold
mineralization predictor or pathfinder in geochemical studies. In sedimentary rocks, iron and
sulfide can co-precipitate arsenic. Iron deposits, iron ores and manganese nodules are arsenic
rich. The marine environment has recognized complex organic compounds containing arsenic
like, tetramethylarsonium salts, arsenocholine, arsenobetaine, dimethyl (ribosyl) arsine oxides,
and arsenic which contains lipids. Only a relatively small portion of the total ocean arsenic exists
in water solution, as much of this is dissolved into suspended particulate content. (Thornton et al.
1997)

Source: (Thornton et al. 1997)

4. Causes of arsenic in water

Sporadic incidents of arsenic poisoning in groundwater can occur because of natural and
industrial incidents. Arsenic in soil is specifically correlated with the normal presence of arsenic
in groundwater. In certain conditions, arsenic can release from these complexes. Since arsenic is
extremely mobile in soils until released it contributes to potential pollution of the groundwater.
The normal content of arsenic in soils ranges from 0.01mg / kg to several hundred mg / kg. The
smelting of ores, fossil burning and use of arsenic compounds in many of the goods and
manufacturing methods in the past are anthropogenic sources of arsenic in our climate. Many
arsenic compounds are poisonous and cause chronic and acute poisoning. Arsenite (As (III)) and
arsenate (As (V)) are the most common arsenic compounds in aqueous climate. The pH
importance, red-ox potential, and presence of Adsorbents such as Fe (III), Al (III), Mn (III / IV),
and clay minerals affect the mobility of these species.
The combustion of fossil fuels in homes and power plants is another anthropogenic cause of
arsenic in the environment. The carbon burning contributes to the volatilization of As4O6 which
condenses in the flue system, which produces arsenite. Fly ash can cause soil emissions from
thermal power stations. Pollution due to oil burning pollution is smaller than fossil burning.
Crude oil contains just 0.134 mg / kg of mean arsenic amounts. (Bissen et al., 2003)
The natural causes of arsenic in water in Bangladesh are that pyrite-containing alluvial and
deltaic sediments favor arsenic contamination of groundwater. The floodplain and the terrace
areas are the two main parts that are composed of a vast alluvial and dual thickness. There are
just a few thousand years of floodplain and sediments below. The terraces of Madhupur and
Barind Tracts are well known and their sediments are much older than the surrounding
floodplain. The younger sediments originating from the Ganges Basin produce the bulk of
arsenic. The researchers find there is a 20 to 80m depth layer of arsenic. (Safiuddin et al., 2001)
5. Impact of Arsenic on Health
Drinking water is a significant source of exposure to arsenic and is typically the highest
concentration in groundwater, especially if geochemical conditions favor arsenic dissolution.
Arsenic is a regular human body component. As taken in the gastrointestinal tract, soluble
sources of arsenic are readily consumed. Arsenic from arsenic in the drinking water mainly in its
arsenate form and full absorption can occur. Arsenate is better absorbed in the body because it is
less reactive with membranes in your gastrointestinal tract. Typical blood levels range from 1-5
pg/L for people without arsenic contamination. If there is 1-5 pg/L in body, it will get absorbed,
but the excess can case different health problems.
A variety of adverse effects can occur from high levels of arsenic consumed over a short period
of time. The seriousness of the effect mostly depends on the exposure level. Acute high doses of
arsenic orally usually lead to irritation to the gastrointestinal tract, with trouble chewing, thirst,
abnormally low blood pressure, and convulsion. Cardiovascular failure can lead to death.
Blackfoot disease is a vascular disease and is also caused by arsenic present in drinking water.
Arsenic is known as a carcinogen for humans and it causes multiple types of cancers including
skin cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer and other cancers in urothelial tract. (Pontius et al. 1994)
6. Backfilling Utilization method arsenic cyanide tailings
The usage in the management of tailings is often indicated of the process called Cemented Paste
Backfill (CPB). Tailings are also blended into underground excavated areas with low (3-7
percent) of cement in CPB. For costs savings, amendments such as GBFS, BFA, and CKD
(Cement Kiln Dust) are used to partly substitute CPB cement due to their alkalizing and
pozzolanic properties. To achieve a reduction in costs, these amendments are used. This research
aimed to determine the livery of As in CPB mixes with low BFA (1 to 3%) and standard cement
and unmodified waste (unmodified). The collection of CPB receipts was carried out on the basis
of technological and economic requirements to satisfy the mining demands. Speciation of the As
ore and dust analyses have demonstrated that the bulk of arsenopyrite in the ore have been
dissolved in extraction, which results in secondary As phases co-precipitating with FEPs. Data
from the liquid leaching tests (TLT and WCT) indicate that As-rich waste is further leaching by
use in a cementitious matrix. In addition, alkaline binding compounds were additionally applied
to dressings. As leaching was caused by FEP relocations to less acid resistant species including
ca-arsenate and cement As-phases, this activity was partly justified by an improved pH.
Unmodified tailings have created an acidic atmosphere where as-bear FEPs have been stable.
The introduction of binders improved the ability of the tailings to acid neutralize and added
additional Ca-ions and Fe-precipitates into the matrix of tailings which can be used as adsorption
and can decrease long-term sulfide oxidation potential. (Hamburg et al., 2016)
i. Environmental benefits of the methods
Zhang et al., (2019) reported that the findings of heir study show the possibility of gangue
disposal, underground laundering and subsidence regulation with the incorporation of
underground carbon-separation and sound recharging technologies.
ii. Economic benefits of the methods.
In china the mining of Ji15 coal seam is faced by the following issues: firstly, the mining depth
was above 1100 m, and deep mining problems such as auxiliary lifting were encountered.
Second, the gas contains high quality, poor runoff and permeability. The safety of mining is
seriously questioned and possible threats are present. Thirdly, the coal mines are mainly
generated by the use, particularly under buildings of 'three under' coal capital, so the production
cannot be guaranteed. In addition to the above listed concerns, there is also a major eco-
environmental strain in the mining of Ji15 coal seam. The presence of the excessive carbon seam
Ji-15 is not robust and the thickness is too thin to be exploited, hence the mining of the
traditional security layers does not have any technological requirements. It would however, result
in a serious loss of money if it were left untapped. The exploitation of almost all the rock defense
layer necessarily means a high waste rate of 73.7 per cent as built as the maximum defensive
layer for mining. A gangue of 8,1 million m3 will be triggered by working faces of all defensive
layers. Gangues are contained in amounts that are bound to suck up vast quantities of dirt. The
gang dumps are swept out by the rain and pollute the mining fields with water. Zhang et al.,
(2019) reported that adopting Backfilling Utilization would reduce these problems.
iii. Industrial application of the method
This method can be applied in coal industry. Feng et al. (2015) reported in their study that China
can benefit from this method. They reported that China, the world's largest manufacturer and
user of coal, is strongly dependent for the national resources and economy on its coal business,
or the "Black Gold" industry. However, the resulting environmental crises continued for decades,
and surface subsidence caused by underground mining remains the most severe impact.
Excavations of underground coal in China neglected the issue over decades, even though the
surface environment and building schemes have sustained significant degradation as a result of
the slackening overlying streams. They suggested paste recharge as a replacement for the area
originally occupied by coal supplies in order to prevent this decline and introduced recharge
schemes for two major mining methods used in Chinese collar mills, namely on-going mining
and fully mechanized coal mining. These strategies have been applied successfully in some
colliers and the region of the gob can be quickly re-filled to stop surface declines.
7. Iron molybdate filters method
i. Use of biol tests
Pokhrel et al. (2009) conducted biological filtration to remove arsenic from water. Hey reported
that different experiments with arsenic concentrations at 100microg / L were carried out by
adjusting the quantity of iron (II). The sand filter is injected into the downstream mixture of iron
(II) and arsenic (10:1, 20:1, 30:1 and 40:1) and the effluent arsenic and iron were analyzed. In
order for an effluent arsenic concentration of 5 micro g/L or less, a ratio from iron to arsenic of
40:1 was found to be required. Iron was still smaller than 0.1 mg / L in the filtrate.
ii. Use of Fe2(MoO4)3 filter 
Hott et al. (2020) carried out filtration with iron molybdate filters. They reported that nano
particles Fe2(MoO4)3 were used as an adsorbent for various arsenic species. The adsorptive
power was 16.1, 23.1 and 23.5 mg g−2, respectively, of Fe2 (MoO4)3 for As3 +, As5 + and
MMA. The Langmuir and Redlich-Peterson models were modified better to show arsenic
adsorption in monolayer on the surface of Fe2 (MoO4)3. Fe2 (MoO4)3 nanoparticles rapidly adsorb
arsenic kinetics, which allows their use as an efficient filtering medium for water purification
with arsenic contamination. The original 1000 μg L−1 arsenic concentration has been lowered to
the EPA value.
Fe2(MoO4)3 adsorption sites can also be regenerated with easy NaOH treatment, allowing the
Fe2(MoO4)3  filter to be used for a number of cycles without any loss of performance. Biological
studies have shown the lack of cytotoxic, genotoxic and mutagenic impacts on Fe2 (MoO4)3 nano-
particles. For the purification of polluted waters from poisonous metals, Fe2 (MoO4)3 nano-
particles should therefore be used.
8. Arsenic exposure and risk of urothelial cancer
Di Giovanni et al. (2020) reported in their Meta analysis that exposure to arsenic is significantly
related with risk of urothelial cancer.
Saint-Jacques et al. (2014) report the result of their study based on the review of 30 years
researches. They report that arsenic is related to an elevated risk of bladder and kidney cancer in
drinking water, but there is variability at a lower level (< 150μg / L) since the lower end of the
dose spectrum is likely to face increased risk of exposure misclassification. Meta-studies have
indicated that the incidence of bladder cancer could be double or at least rise by around 30
percent by exposures of 10 μg / L of arsenic in drinking water. The public health effects of
arsenic in drinking water are significant given the vast number of individuals exposed to these
amounts worldwide. They also reported that there was an 83% chance of an increased prevalence
of bladder cancer with exposures of 50 μg / L, and a 74% risk of high death. The rate of death at
150 ug / L was around 30 percent higher for all bladder and kidney cancers than that at 10 μg / L.
9. Biomass modification methods
The application of industrial by-products or wastes, particularly in case of reuse of biomasses
resulting from food, pharmaceutical treatment or wastewater treatment, can play an important
role in biosorption. Biometric therapies do not replace current technologies that are appropriate
for low-mg L-1 concentration but may serve as "polishing" systems for non-totally effective
processes. (Loukidou et al., 2003)
Different biomass modification methods are used for the removal of arsenic from water. Pokhrel
et al., (2006) used Aspergillus niger, covered with iron oxide as a biomass modification method.
In their experiment, Aspergillus niger was examined for its ability of extracting arsenic from an
aqueous solution by non-viable fungal biomass, covered with iron oxide. A. The maximum
removal of iron oxide-coated niger biomass (about 95% As (V) and 75% As(III) at pH 6 was
observed. No good link between the biomass surface load and arsenic removal has been
observed.
10. Arsenic water and Excess life time cancer risk (ELCR)
Karagas et al. (1998) have reported that arsenic is harmful to human beings at elevated levels
(e.g. > 2000 pg / kg / day). Vascular disorders, diabetes and various skin cancers (basal cell and
squamous cell), lung, bowel, kidney and liver, are documented long-term health risks associated
with nonfatal doses. These findings were made in persons exposed to arsenic occupationally or
by contamination or pharmacological application of drinking water. Organic arsenic compounds
in humans are not as toxic as inorganic arsenic, e.g. arsenobetane present in marine foods. The
carcinogenic results remain unsure, but in patients treated with organic arsenic to syphilis there is
no apparent rise in skin cancers.
Morales et al. (2000) also report that the link between arsenic and skin cancer has been highly
concentrated, with significant evidence of elevated risk of death from many internal cancers due
to exposure to arsenic in drinking water. Increased mortality from bladder and lung cancer in an
area of northern Chile has been recorded. A correlation between the mortality of bladder cancer
and arsenic was also found in Argentina's drinking water. There have been substantial rise in
mortality from lung, stomach, skin, kidney and bladder cancer for men and women in Taiwan.
11. Arsenic polluted water and Dental fluorosis and dermatitis
Chandio et al. (2020) have reported that excessive amounts of arsenic and fluoride have
contributed to Dental fluorosis and dermatitis in Sibi district, Pakistan. They reported that the
primary cause of fluoride degradation of water is fluoride-bearing mineral rocks in the ground 's
crust. Fluorite, calcite and granite are typical fluoride-containing minerals; however, they are
also present in coal reservoirs. The enrichment of radioactive ions in both surface and
groundwater supplies are dependent on various natural and anthropogenic causes. The
consistency of water, which in turn has significant implications, has substantial repercussions for
the health of ions such as arsenic, chlorine, sulfate, nitrate, manganese, lead, selenium and
chloride, radioactive materials and heavy metals. Arsenic and fluoride are the most harmful soil
water contaminants of the above described pollutants. In the presence of high Arsenic (As) and
Fluoride (F) levels on soils, water and agriculture, the health of humans and animals is at great
risk. For the protection of your teeth, fluoride is necessary but the needed concentration is too
poor. Drinking water is primarily due to the geological composition of soil and basement,
leading to prolonged F- exposure. It leads in dental fluorosis which paralyzing skeletal fluorosis
and affects non-skeletal organs like the brain, stomach, renal and spinal cord.
12. Sorption method for removal of arsenic
Arsenic is a popular natural water contaminant. Various methods for the elimination of arsenic
from water have been developed and tested. Different techniques may be categorized into
flocculation or co-precipitation, with or without pre-oxidizing steps (for example by iron or
aluminum salts), electrochemical methods, ion exchange procedure, and sorption methods.
Methods of sorption are easy to use and sometimes affordable. For the sorption of arsenic from
water, some materials have already been suggested. Various materials vary from natural
materials to scientifically specifically engineered particles. These materials include iron
hydroxide, activated aluminum, activated carbon, rice husks, sawdust carbon and zeolites etc.
Sorption using activated carbon is done under anaerobic conditions. The water samples are
purged by helium for 30 minutes to eliminate the oxygen dissolved. After putting the samples in
the anaerobic enclosure, arsenite standard solution is applied. Again, at growing intervals, three
replicates of vials are sampled. A water sample with varying amounts of arsenate (5–100 mg l−1)
(volume 50 mL) is applied to 0.2 g of content for the determination of sorption isothermics. The
samples have been rattled for 24 hours (150 rpm). Samples are taken by inductively coupled
plasma atomic emissions spectroscopy via filtration of the solution for evaluating the overall
arsenic. (Daus et al., 2004)
13. WHO limits for arsenic in water
WHO limit for arsenic in water is10 μg /L.
Arsenic is a big public health concern in the WHO's 10 contaminants. The role of the WHO to
minimize exposure to arsenic requires the development of standards and the review of evidence
and advice for risk control. In its recommendations for drinking water safety, WHO publishes a
guideline value for arsenic. The Recommendations are meant as the framework for global
supervision and standardization.
The new suggested arsenic level of 10 μg /L in drinking water is designated as temporary
because of logistical challenges in extracting arsenic from drinking water. Therefore, any effort
must be taken to keep the concentrations at their disposition as low as possible and below the
guideline value. (WHO)
14. Patients affected by Urothelial cancer due to arsenic water
Arsenic is exceptional in terms of its effects on human health and most epidemiological analysis
suggests that it is related to diseases; no good models have been identified for animal research. It
is also unusual in having many different adverse effects, and further experiments have reported
those effects. To date, it is known that drinking water arsenic can cause serious skin conditions
like skin cancer; cancer of the lungs, the bladder, kidneys, and probably other internal tumors. It
also appears to impair physiological mechanisms (infant mortality and baby weight).
(Hopenhayn, 2006)
In a study conducted by Chen et al. (2009), 977 patients with bladder cancer were retrospectively
examined in Taiwan between 1993 and 2006. The patient areas included three areas namely the
core zone, zone 1 (350 ng/ml or above, but not an infectious Blackfoot disease, water arsenic)
and zone 2 (well water arsenic level below 350ng / ml) and zone 2 (well water arsenic level
below 350ng / ml. Of these, 8, 246, and 650 patients lived in the core zone, zones 1 and 2
respectively. In core zone patients, higher stage tumors were detected than in zone 1 and 2. The
median total survival in patients from central areas and cancer related survival in patients in
areas 1 and 2 was slightly shorter. They demonstrated that average survival in patients with
arsenic-related bladder cancer and cancer specific cancer could have declined, as the patients in
other areas of Taiwan had more adverse tumor phenotypes than those in other areas.
15. Health related complications of Arsenic and Bimolecules
The toxicity of heavy metals has proved to be a significant danger and is associated with a range
of health hazards. Although they have no biological role, the harmful effects of certain metals
exist in some way or another adverse to and functioning of the human body. Sometimes they act
as a quasi part of the body and sometimes interfering with metabolism. Arsenic is protoplastic,
since it mostly affects the sulphydryl cell community that induces cell respiration, cell enzymes
and mitosis to malfunction. Accumulating data suggests that exposure to arsenic is related to
congenital abnormalities and to long-term cancer effects. The effects of epigenetic changes,
particularly in DNA mehylation, have been seen in recent studies. (Jaishankar et al., 2014)
Another research studied the impact of arsenic exposure on biomolecules in fish. The study
showed that extended exposure weakened the slow defensive layer allowing exposure to arsenic
toxic stress of the various cell components of the fish. 60 days of sodium arsenite exposure
caused substantial changes in the skin, gills, liver, brain and fish muscles of protein, nucleic acid,
lipid and glycogen. The quantities of these biomolecules getting affected, however, fluctuated
according to exposure in these tissue components.
16. Arsenic water on Navajo lands
The Navajo Nation is the largest contiguous reserve in the United States of America. It stretches
over 71,000 km2 through Arizona , New Mexico and Utah in Southwest American Four Corners
area. It is run under the Environmental Protection Agency of the Navajo Nation and is
responsible for ensuring that the water quality requirements are met. The NNWQP specifies that
domestic water sources for uranium and arsenic should not exceed 30μg /L, equivalent to the
Environmental Protection Agency for Drinking Water Limits. Furthermore, arsenic for livestock
water does not exceed 200 μg /L. Ingram, et al. (2020) reported the result of their study. The
research gathered water samples from unregulated bodies of water between 2014 and 2017. The
Arizona and Utah sites in the Navajó nation also obtained a total of 294 water samples that are
unregulated and 21 components have been evaluated. Of the elements tested, 14 had, at the very
least, the highest concentration of exceedance in at least one instance above national regulatory
limit and six were of significance for the diverse populations in the Navajo Nation. One of these
six elements was arsenic. Another study conducted by Jones et al. (2020) reported their study
results. They also reported that the level of arsenic in water exceeded 10μg /L in the 84 water
samples they collected from different regions of Navajo lands.
 Source: Jones et al. (2020)

17. Role of Ingram lab in research

Ingram Lab is founded by Dr. Jani Ingram who is the Associate Chemistry and Biochemistry
Professor at the University of Northern Arizona. Her thesis includes studying the health impacts
of chemical pollution. In particular, prolonged exposure to uranium and the possibility of cancer
in the Navajo. Dr. Ingram has since published 38 peer reviews. She is a provincial advisor to the
Undergraduate Research Council.
Ingram Lab has played an active role in research of chemical pollutants in water and there are
many research publications published from Ingram Lab. The American Chemical Society (ACS)
award has been awarded to Jani Ingram. According to ACS, Ingram is awarded for "her excellent
achievements in recruiting and guiding students from underrepresented communities in technical
professions in chemistry, especially American Indians and Alaskan indigenous people."
Ingram explores the health effects of environmental pollutants on Navajo lands — primarily
uranium and arsenic. She is lead investigator of the Alliance for Native American Cancer
Reduction and is also training the next generation of researchers to move on solutions to cancer
inequalities among Native Americans. A significant part of Ingram's strategy is the recruiting of
Navajo and other indigenous students for study with her who also works at Ingram lab. (Faculty
& Staff, 2018)
18. Regions of India affected by Arsenic water
There are different regions in India where arsenic s found in water above the permissible level.
In six districts of Western Bengal, covering an area of 34,000 km2 and a population of 30
million, arsenic in groundwater was found out to be above the permissible level. At present 37
locations of these six districts of Bengal are impacted by arsenic polluted water, with nearly
800,000 residents in 312 villages and at least 175,000 of those have arsenic skin lesions on the
river Ganga. The origin of arsenic is found out to be geological. For four arsenic species, called
arsenate, arsenite, dimethylarsinic acid (DMAA), and Monomethylarsonic Acid (MMAA),
thousands of water samples from tube wells were analyzed in these six districts. No MMAA or
DMAA has been found in any of these samples. DMAA and MMAA, along with arsenite and
arsenate, were the primary species in the urine. After acid breakdown, gross urinary arsenic was
estimated by FI-HGAAS. In the groundwater, the most harmful species, Arsenite, was 50 percent
of the total amount of arsenic and in inorganic arsenic and its metabolites were over 90 % of the
total urinary arsenic. (Chatterjee et al., 1995)
Some regions of Bihar are also affected by Arsenic in water. In 2002 arsenic in the groundwater
of above 0.05 mg / L originally came from the two villages of Southern Ganga Bank, from the
Semariya Ojhapatti and Doodhghat. The towns are situated on the Son-Ganga interfluvial area in
a monotonous flow-prone stretch. CGWB tests showed that the highest concentration was 0,178
mg / L shortly after reporting of this. Both wells affected are hand pumps in a 20-35 m bgl depth
range. There is no pollution in the excavator wells (depth < 8 m). (Saha et. al, 2009)

Source: Saha et. al, 2009

19. Regions of Central and South Myanmar affected by arsenic water

Myanmar, a less-developed nation in South-East Asia, faces significant obstacles to achieve the
2030 Sustainable Development Goals, including clean water and sanitation. Geogenic pollutants,
notably arsenic, are relatively poorly known in groundwater of Myanmar, especially in
comparison with other South / South Asian countries. Improving awareness of the condition of
soil water in Myanmar is therefore a big concern for the welfare of millions of local people who
make intensive use of soil water. Pincetti et al. (2020) conducted a research where arsenic level
in water was studied. In order to determine the existence of arsenic and other potentially
hazardous elements and to examine the prevailing geochemical controls in each zone / basin, a
groundwater surveys are carried forward at 85 sites in five strongly opposing regions within
three of Myanmar's major river basins (Chindwin-Ayeyarwady, Sittaung and Salween).
Improvements in water quality impacted a large amount, in 14% of all the samples in the basins
surveyed, based on the Recommendation of the World Health Organisation (WHO), including
elevated arsonic amounts (> 10 μg. L−1).
 Source: Pincetti et al. (2020)

In January 2013 a total of 55 wells were tested in seven villages covering the As pollution
spectrum in the Ayeyarwady basin of Myanmar for laboratory research. High levels of As (50–
630 μg / L) have been measured in wells with a deep depth of 60 m and high Fe (up to 21 mg /
L) and low SO4 (< 0.05 mg / L) levels. In shallow, (< 30 m) grey sands and shallow, as well as in
deep orange sands, As concentrations < 10 μg / L were assessed. (Van et al., 2014)
20. Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be said that arsenic contamination of water is very dangerous for heath
because it enhances the chances of cancer. Arsenic present in water more than 10 μg / L is above
the WHO prescribed level and it is harmful for health because human body cannot absorb it.
There are different mineral forms of arsenic and it is present in both organic and inorganic forms.
Inorganic form of arsenic is more toxic and causes different health issues. There are different
natural and artificial methods of removal of arsenic from water and modern methods of arsenic
removal are considered more efficient as compared to conventional methods. This report
reviewed many academic researches and reported their results in the areas of health and water
treatment. It is the need of the time that arsenic contaminated water is properly treated before
drinking so that its negative impact on the health is reduced.
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