Status of arsenic extent in groundwater of eastern UP and Bihar and its harmful effects, an overview - Food and Scientific Reports 1(1): 1-15
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Food and Scientific Reports
ISSN 2582-5437 foodandscientificreports.com
Status of arsenic extent in groundwater of eastern UP
and Bihar and its harmful effects, an overview
Anup Kumar1, Ajay Kumar2, Pawan Jeet3, PK Sundaram3
1SeniorResearch Fellow, ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna; 2Principal Scientist, ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern
Region, Patna; 3Scientist, ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna
ABSTRACT
In India first groundwater arsenic contamination was reported from West-Bengal in 1983, after that many other States, like;
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, was reported. 25 villages of Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh were found arsenic affected and
its people were suffering from skin lesions. Three blocks of Ballia district named Murlichapra, Bansdih, and Rewti were
having arsenic concentration of up to 158 µg/L in its groundwater; concentrations above 100 µg/l was observed in Dalon
Chhapra, Bhopapur and Vishauli villages of Murli chhapra and Rewti blocks. Barisban and Semaria Ojhapatti the two
villages of Bhojpur district located in the western part of the Bihar state were reported in 2002 having arsenic contamination
level higher than 50μg/L. The high concentration of arsenic on agricultural land could also affect the food chain, as arsenic
(dry weight) was absorbed in different parts of the plants; branch (2.8–14.3 mg/kg), leaf (2.1–9.5 mg/kg), trunk (0.3–
55mg/kg) and root (45–130mg/kg) of the plants; as reported in a study. Kaliachalk-II, Mothabari in Malda district of West
Bengal has a single Rural Water Supply Scheme (RWSS) which is alone withdrawing 147 kg of arsenic from groundwater in
a year. Crops grown on arsenic concentrated soil had severe arsenic absorption like wheat (80 ng/g), rice (183 ng/g), turmeric
powder (334.67 ng/g), beans (200 ng/g), green chili (130ng/g).
Keywords: Arsenic, Contamination, Groundwater, Harmful-effects
Weathering of rocks and minerals followed by leaching reported. Meanwhile, Assam and Manipur in the flood
and runoff is the reason causing arsenic to enter into soil plain of the Brahamaputra and Imphal rivers, and
and groundwater storage. It can also be introduced into Rajnandgaon village in Chhattisgarh state were also
soil and groundwater from anthropogenic sources. exposed. It has been reported in various researches and
Several factors cause arsenic concentration and transport surveys that many Indian states are exposed to drinking
in groundwater like precipitation/dissolution, adsorption/ arsenic-contaminated hand tube-wells water above the
desorption, Red-ox potential (Eh), Arsenic speciation, permissible limit of 50 μg/L, and adversely affecting
pH, presence, and concentration of competing ions, etc. densely populated districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh and
Generally, Arsenic is found in oxidation states of −3, 0, Bihar.
3, and 5 and with its wide distribution throughout the
Earth’s crust commonly as arsenic sulphide or as metal During 2003, 25 villages of Ballia district in Uttar
arsenates and arsenides. It is most likely to be present as Pradesh were found arsenic affected and its people were
arsenate in water. In oxygenated water, it has an suffering from skin lesions. Sahibgunj district of
oxidation state of 5. Dissolution of rocks, minerals, and Jharkhand state, in the middle Ganga plain, was also
ores, from industrial effluents, including mining wastes, found arsenic-contaminated during 2003-2004 and the
and via atmospheric deposition causes Arsenic suffering of hundreds of people was reported from its 17
introduction into water (IPCS, 1981; Nadakavukaren et villages. (Ghosh, 2010). Barisban and Semaria Ojhapatti
al., 1984; Hindmarsh & McCurdy, 1986). Arsenic (V) is the two villages of Bhojpur district located in the western
generally the most common arsenic species present, in part of the Bihar state were reported in 2002 having
well-oxygenated surface waters, (Irgolic, 1982; Cui & arsenic contamination exceeding 50μg/L. According to
Liu, 1988); under reducing conditions, such as those the 2008 survey and research, out of 38 districts of Bihar,
often found in deep lake sediments or groundwater. Its 57 blocks from 15 districts having a total population of
most predominant form is arsenic (III) (Lemmo et al., nearly 10 million have been reported affected by arsenic
1983). The concentration of dissolved arsenic in water groundwater contamination above 50μg/L.
may increase if its pH is increased (Slooff et al., 1990).
The harmful effects and symptoms of arsenic have been
In India first groundwater arsenic contamination was discussed in this paper and the primary methods to get rid
reported from West-Bengal in 1983, after that many other of this issue and to prevent self in this type of exposed
States, like; Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, was area. This paper includes the primary explanation of the
November 2020 │Volume: 1, Issue: 1│Page 17
Food and Scientific Reports
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exposed area and its symptoms with observed effects The extent of Arsenic in Bihar
through various global researchers.
The extent of arsenic in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh, the fourth-largest Indian state by area
covering 240,928 km2 has 75 districts which are 7.34%
of the total area of India. In a news, it was reported that
2.34 crore people in rural areas of Uttar Pradesh are
exposed to high levels of arsenic in groundwater (The
wire, 31/MAY/2019). More than 40 districts of the
state are exposed to a high concentration of arsenic in
its groundwater among which Ballia district is severely
exposed. The districts which are worst affected include
Ballia, Barabankhi, Gorakhpur, Ghazipur, Gonda,
Faizabad, and Lakhimpur Kheri. Whereas, moderately
Source: Bihar, Public health engineering department
affected districts Mau, Balrampur, Deoria, and
The groundwater scenario of Bihar includes an area of
Siddharthnagar. Pratapgarh, Kushinagar, Unnao,
94163 km2 with an annual average rainfall of 1232 mm.
Chandauli, Varanasi. The dependency of this state’s
It has 37 districts and 589 blocks among which most of
population on its groundwater (GW) is nearly more
its districts are affected by arsenic contamination above
than 90% and its 75% population lives in villages and
the WHO recommended limit i.e. 10 parts per billion
rural areas which are totally on GW for their drinking,
(PPB). More than a lakh of people from Bihar are highly
daily domestic purposes, and agricultural irrigation
exposed to arsenic-contaminated water, which is the
purposes.
major cause of exploded Cancer among the masses
(Scroll.in Apr 24, 2017). According to the officials of the
Mahavir Cancer Sansthan hospital, Patna it admits 60 and
100 patients every day. Inspite of having the maximum
capacity of the hospital beds is just 400 and the surgery
has two months waiting period also.
The heavy burden of cancer in Bihar is due to high levels
of arsenic, a known carcinogen, in its groundwater.
According to the United States the permissible limit of
drinking water should be 10 (PPB of arsenic, but in India
arsenic concentrations is above 50 parts per billion in
most of the parts Bihar and eastern UP. As per the
various on-ground studies conducted had observed that in
the last 15 years arsenic concentration is far high up to
Source: Uttar Pradesh, Ground water department, Arsenic Map. 3880 parts per billion in some places of the Bihar. As per
the survey for 2011 census, a village of Buxar district of
After GW sampling more than 1500 samples testing for Bihar was found highly affected due to prolonged
arsenic, researchers concluded that the areas near the exposure of arsenic, it was concluded in that study that
Gangetic belt passing through this state are highly more than 80% of the drinking water sources like hand-
affected and arsenic map has also been developed. In a pumps and tube wells are releasing arsenic-contaminated
study (Sankararamakrishnan, 2015) it was observed that water with limit above 100 PPB. It was found that 28%
three blocks of Ballia district named Murlichapra, of the families were suffering from skin-related
Bansdih, and Rewti were having arsenic concentration of problems, 86% suffered were from gastritis, 57% from
up to 158 µg/l in GW. Concentrations higher than 100 liver-related problems, and 64% reported a loss of
µg/L was observed in Dalon Chhapra, Bhopapur, and appetite. US’ National Resource Council in 2001
Vishauli villages of Murli chhapra and Rewti blocks.
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declared that one in every 300 people who is exposed to neuropathy, cancer in bladder and lungs, and vascular
10 PPB of arsenic in his lifetime would develop cancer. disease, was observed in populations. (Tseng et al., 1968;
Borgońo & Greiber, 1972; Hindmarsh et al., 1977;
Long-term effects on human Tseng, 1977; Zaldivar, 1980; Zaldivar & Ghai, 1980;
Valentine et al., 1982; Cebrian et al., 1983).
The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
Additives (JECFA) recently evaluated arsenic Effects on Agriculture
(FAO/WHO, 2011a, b). The observation of the
Committee IPCS (2001) had concluded that inorganic Increasing the population has increased the food demand
arsenic adversely affects humans as it causes cancers of and to fulfill this demand more than four crops have been
the skin, urinary bladder, and lung and skin lesions grown every year through most of the farmers in this
(hyperkeratosis, hyper-pigmentation, and hypo- region. Since, limited rainfall occurs annually and
pigmentation) when the levels of arsenic in drinking- rainwater cannot fulfill the demand of such intensive
water were relatively high as ≥100 μg/L. The main long- farming, farming has to be dependent on some other
term adverse effect reported were ingestion of inorganic source of irrigation i.e. groundwater. For this very
arsenic by humans, child growth retardation or purpose, the irrigation dependency on groundwater has
developmental effects, cardiovascular disease, been increasing so fast. In recent past years, thousands of
neurotoxicity, and diabetes. According to the study new deep and shallow tube wells have been installed so
conducted in Bangladesh and Taiwan, China, it was far and the number is increasing day by day.
observed that prolonged consumption of arsenic-
contaminated water increases an extra risk of diabetes According to a study conducted (Mandal et al.,
among high-exposure populations. In recent findings, it 1996) in West Bengal, it was concluded that in Deganga
was observed that in the uterus arsenic exposure impaired block in North 24 Parganas district is the worst arsenic
child thymic development and that enhanced morbidity affected block. The reason due to agricultural irrigation
and immune-suppression might occur. However, the as it contains arsenic in the range around 0.133 mg/l, in
relationship between arsenic exposure and its effect is shallow tube wells it contains arsenic in the range: 0.01–
still a study with limitations and various unfolded 0.84 mg/l. Kaliachalk-II, Mothabari in Malda district of
harmful effects. West Bengal has a single Rural Water Supply Scheme
(RWSS) which is alone withdrawing 147 kg of arsenic
Short-term effects from groundwater in a year. More than 6 tons of arsenic
per year is coming out of from shallow tubewells used for
Early or short-term effects of arsenic contamination agricultural irrigation and around 0.176 tons of arsenic is
include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, muscular coming out of hand pumps every year (Mandal et al.,
pain, and weakness, with flushing of the skin. In most 1996). Due to the heavy deposition of arsenic on the
cases, these symptoms are followed by muscular agricultural fields through irrigation, the possibility of
cramping, papular erythematous rash appearance, soil contamination has also been increased
numbness, and tingling of the extremities (Murphy et al., (Roychowdhury et al., 2002b). The crop grown on such
1981). Symptoms Within a month include burning arsenic-contaminated soil also triggers some harmful
paraesthesias of the extremities, palmoplantar effects to its consumers or in-takers (Roychowdhury et
hyperkeratosis, Mee’s lines on fingernails, and al., 2002a; Meharg and Rahman, 2003). The
progressive deterioration in motor and sensory responses concentration of arsenic in the soil influences the
(Fennell & Stacy, 1981; Murphy et al., 1981; Wesbey & absorption of arsenic by the plants soil (National
Kunis, 1981). Symptoms that are common after the Research Council, 1977). In an arsenic concentrated soil,
minimum exposure of 2-5 years are Dermal lesions and the relationship between plant growth and its toxicity
even cardiovascular system effects were observed in formation was investigated (Schoenhard and Koenig,
children consuming arsenic-contaminated water (mean 1975; Walsh et al., 1977) through many researchers.
concentration 0.6 mg/l) for an average of 5 - 7 years They concluded that more the arsenic concentration in
(Zaldivar, 1980; Zaldivar & Ghai, 1980). In some of the the soil more is the dettoriating effect on the plant growth
cases, arsenic exposure can affect humans without a and the higher absorption of arsenic in its roots, stem as
minimal period if their body cannot resist its harmful well as leafs. The order of toxicity is AsH3 > As(III)
effects such as signs of chronic arsenicism, peripheral >As(V) > organic As (Wu and Xie, 1990). National
November 2020 │Volume: 1, Issue: 1│Page 19Food and Scientific Reports
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Research Council of Canada, 1978 concluded that arsenic financial support of government authorities it can
absorption through plants is more in coarse-textured soils install on a community or village basis.
with small colloidal material and low ion exchange 4. Scientific methods of arsenic removal can be
capacity. Whereas, arsenic absorption through plants is assisted like reverse osmosis, nano-filtration,
low in the fine-textured soils which are high in clay ultrafiltration; precipitation method through
content, calcium, phosphate iron and organic matter. In a microfiltration, coagulation/filtration, direct
study conducted in Domkal, Murshidabad district, West filtration, coagulation assisted microfiltration, lime
Bengal it was reported that due to pumping out arsenic softening, and enhanced lime softening; Adsorption
affected water from groundwater for irrigation the method, Ion-Exchange method and through the
concentration of arsenic in the irrigated soils have been synthetic nano-filtration method.
increased a lot as it was 10.7mg/kg (range: 3.34–
31.6mg/kg), quite higher than the concentration in fallow Conclusion
land soils (mean: 5.31mg/kg, range: 2.68–6.79mg/kg)
It is suggested that proper testing of groundwater
(Roychowdhury et al., 2002b). Whereas, the
extracted through tube wells and hand pumps in the
concentration in shallow tubewells was 0.078 mg/l
arsenic prone areas should be done on an urgent priority
(range: 0.018–0.20 mg/l).
basis because it is severely affecting the population of
Due to high concentration of arsenic on agricultural land that area. Protocols should be made for reducing arsenic
could affect the food chain (Jenkins, 1980) as reported exposures by some actively working agencies or
arsenic (dry weight) was found absorbed in different organizations.
parts of the plants; branch (2.8–14.3 mg/kg), leaf (2.1–
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