How Much Is Too Much?

Abstract

The fact that arsenic is poisonous is well known. Complete avoidance is the best preventive action . However, this remains an implausible situation in arsenic affected areas of West Bengal. The obvious question that arises then is what is the safe or permissible limit of arsenic in drinking water. To find out the answer to this critical question, we reviewed literature that spells out the diverse and contrasting safe limits prescribed by various international nodal authorities as well as national governments. These variations are partly due to the fact that political and administrative policies are, at least in the case of West Bengal, if not India, limited by the lack of dedicated research and specific information and know-how. Moreover, apart from the fact that the policies are not always devised based on scientific information they are also, at times, heavily weighed down by several other operation-related factors. However, this adherence to inefficient safe levels brings forth several real-life implications for those suffering.