What causes arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh?
Exposure to arsenic and health impacts However, in Bangladesh, groundwater is the main source of arsenic exposure; the population unknowingly receives substantial exposure to arsenic daily through the water they use for drinking and cooking.
Does arsenic poisoning affect the brain?
Results. Arsenic is able to gain access to the developing brain and cause neurotoxic effects. Animal models link prenatal and early postnatal exposure to reduction in brain weight, reductions in numbers of glia and neurons, and alterations in neurotransmitter systems.
What is the most common cause of arsenic poisoning?
Contaminated groundwater is the most common cause of arsenic poisoning. Arsenic is already present in the earth and can seep into groundwater. Also, groundwater can contain runoff from industrial plants. Drinking arsenic-laden water over a long period of time can lead to poisoning.
What effects does arsenic poisoning have?
Acute effects The immediate symptoms of acute arsenic poisoning include vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. These are followed by numbness and tingling of the extremities, muscle cramping and death, in extreme cases.
Who limits arsenic in Bangladesh?
10 ppb
It is estimated that approximately 27% of the wells are contaminated with levels above 50ppb, the current drinking water standard for arsenic in Bangladesh (Mentioned here WHO standard is 10 ppb).
How many people does arsenic affect Bangladesh?
20 million inhabitants
A recent report from the World Bank has estimated that 20 million inhabitants of Bangladesh may be drinking arsenic-contaminated water (18). In the 200 villages surveyed by the Rapid Action Programme, 1802 of 469424 people were found to have arsenic-induced skin lesions.
Can arsenic cause psychosis?
The authors concluded that patients can develop atypical symptoms, including acute psychosis, following arsenic poisoning.
What does arsenic do to the brain?
A number of studies have shown that arsenic induces cognitive deficits in children, even at low concentrations. Arsenic water levels or urinary arsenic levels correlate with poorer performance and scores on intelligence measures, and verbal IQ seems to be the most affected cognitive skill.
What causes high arsenic in blood?
ARSENIC EXPOSURE Seafood, fish, and algae are the richest organic sources. These organic compounds cause raised arsenic levels in blood but are rapidly excreted unchanged in urine. Arsenic intake is higher from solid foods than from liquids including drinking water.
How does arsenic cause death?
Messing with the ATP pathway can disturb neurological and cardiovascular systems, and can make it difficult for muscles to fire. If the dosage in the body is high enough, arsenic poisoning can eventually cause multi-system organ failure, most likely driven by cell death and hemorrhaging.
Where did arsenic come from in Bangladesh?
Sources of Arsenic in Groundwater in Bangladesh But it is now widely believed that the high arsenic levels in the groundwater in Bangladesh have a natural geological source which may be due to abstraction water from quaternary confined and semi-confined alluvial or deltaic aquifers.
Is arsenic in drinking water?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) federal drinking water standard for arsenic in drinking water is 10 micrograms per liter (µg/L). * However, drinking water with arsenic at levels lower than the EPA standard over many years can still increase your risk of cancer.
What are the symptoms of arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh?
Observable symptom to the arsenic poisoning can be thickening and discoloration of skin, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, numbness in hand and feet, partial paralysis, blindness. Arsenic contamination in ground water is problematic not only as a health hazard but also a social problem in Bangladesh.
How does arsenic affect human health and ecology?
Abstract- This paper delineates the impacts of arsenic on human and ecological health and subsequent treatments of arsenic related diseases in Bangladesh. Arsenic is a metalloid that is known for its toxicity and carcinogenicity. Arsenic causes arsenicosis and several carcinogenic diseases and other diseases.
How much arsenic is in the water in Araihazar?
About half of the wells in their study area of 35,000 people in the region of Araihazar contain arsenic at more than 50 parts per billion, five times the World Health Organization standard of 10. “I know this water is not good for my health, but there is nothing to do,” says Uddin.
How many people die from arsenic in water?
The Bulletin of the World Health Organization estimates that the invisible taint of arsenic in the country’s well water could now be responsible for as many as 43,000 deaths per year in the country. A naturally-occurring metallic element, arsenic was first discovered in the country’s drinking water more than two decades ago.
