AGS

Mitigation of Groundwater-Derived Arsenic Hazards and Sustainable Water Supply System in Asian Countries

Bangladesh is currently confronted with a water supply crisis of enormous proportions. About one third of the 130 million inhabitants depend on ground water with arsenic contents far above acceptable levels. Experts both in Bangladesh and the World Health Organization (WHO) suspect that nearly 20 million people are, to a greater or lesser extent, already suffering from arsenic poisoning. In addition to Bangladesh, West Bengal and Taiwan, many other regions in East Asia might be affected by arsenic contaminated groundwater (more background).

As a part of national and international efforts to find solutions and to develop safe water supply systems in arsenic affected regions, AGS is funding a collaborative project between the three AGS Universities and the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). The research groups in the different institutions work on three interrelated key issues to contribute to short term and long term solutions.

Health and sociocultural aspects of water use

The primary purpose of the work of the UT group is to describe the human toxicological and the public health aspects at the community level. Information about the prevalence of arsenic related health effects and the possible risk population is incorporated in designing and planning mitigation or counteracting measures.

Water treatment options for safe drinking water at the household level

A primary short term goal is the reduction of arsenic intake. To achieve this goal, we work on the evaluation and development of water treatment methods at the communal and household level (EAWAG, UT and BUET). The EAWAG group is working on the development of simple, socio-economically acceptable arsenic removal procedures that are adapted to the situation in rural villages.

Long term solutions for community level water supply systems

Links

• Alliance for Global Sustainability
  
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• University of Tokyo
• Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
• Bangladesh University of Engeneering and Technology
• West Bengal and Bangladesh arsenic crisis information Center
• WHO
• UNICEF
• British Geological Survey
• Havard University: Arsenic Project
• Berkley University: Arsenic Project
• United State Protection Agency
• Wikipedia
• Map