Abstract
Contamination of groundwater by arsenic from natural geochemical sources is at present a most serious challenge in the planning of large-scale use of groundwater for drinking and other purposes. Recent improvements in detection limits of analytical instruments are allowing the correlation of health impacts such as cancer with large concentrations of arsenic in groundwater. However, there are at present no known large-scale technological solutions for the millions of people—mostly rural—who are potentially affected in developing countries. An overall framework of combating natural resource degradation is combined with case studies from Chile, Mexico, Bangladesh and elsewhere to arrive at a set of strategic recommendations for the global, national and local dimensions of the arsenic “crisis”. The main recommendations include: the need for flexibility in the elaboration of any arsenic mitigation strategy, the improvement and large-scale use of low-cost and participatory groundwater quality testing techniques, the need to maintain consistent use of key lessons learned worldwide in water supply and sanitation and to integrate arsenic as just one other factor in providing a sustainable water supply, and the following of distinct but communicable tracks between arsenic-related developments and enhanced, long-term, sustainable water supplies.
Résumé
La contamination des eaux souterraines par l’arsenic provenant de sources naturelles est actuellement un sujet des plus graves dans l’organisation d’un recours à grande échelle des eaux souterraines pour la boisson et d’autres usages. De récentes améliorations dans les limites de détection des équipements analytiques permettent de corréler les effets sur la santé tels que le cancer à de fortes concentrations en arsenic dans les eaux souterraines. Toutefois, il n’existe pas actuellement de solutions technologiques à grande échelle connues pour des millions de personnes, surtout en zones rurales, qui sont potentiellement affectées dans les pays en développement. Un cadre d’ensemble pour lutter contre la dégradation naturelle des ressources est associé à des études de cas au Chili, au Mexique, au Bangladesh et ailleurs afin d’établir un ensemble de recommandations stratégiques pour les dimensions globale, nationale et locale de la «crise» de l’arsenic. Les principales recommandations sont les suivantes: le besoin d’une flexibilité pour élaborer une stratégie de diminution de l’arsenic, l’amélioration et l’utilisation à grande échelle de techniques peu coûteuses et associant les populations pour tester la qualité de l’eau souterraine, le besoin de maintenir un usage logique des leçons clés acquises de par le monde pour l’alimentation en eau et la santé publique, celui d’intégrer l’arsenic simplement comme un autre facteur pour assurer une alimentation durable en eau, et pour suivre des pistes distinctes mais communicables entre les développements liés à l’arsenic et les alimentations durables en eau mises en valeurs à long terme.
Resumen
La contaminación de las aguas subterráneas con arsénico procedente de fuentes geoquímicas naturales es actualmente uno de los retos principales de la planificación a gran escala de las aguas subterráneas para uso de boca y otros fines. Las recientes mejoras en los límites de detección del instrumental analítico permiten correlacionar impactos en la salud tales como el cáncer con concentraciones elevadas de arsénico en las aguas subterráneas. Sin embargo, a fecha de hoy no existen soluciones tecnológicas de gran escala para millones de personas—población principalmente rural—que están potencialmente afectadas en los países en vías de desarrollo. Se combina un enfoque general para combatir la degradación de los recursos naturales con estudios concretos de Chile, México, Bangladesh y cualquier otro lugar que permita obtener un conjunto de recomendaciones estratégicas para las dimensiones global, nacional y local de la “crisis” del arsénico. Las recomendaciones principales incluyen la necesidad de flexibilizar la elaboración de cualquier estrategia de mitigación del arsénico; la mejora y uso a gran escala de técnicas de muestreo de las aguas subterráneas que sean económicas y participativas; la necesidad de mantener un uso coherente de las lecciones clave aprendidas a nivel mundial en el suministro y saneamiento del agua y de integrar el arsénico como otro factor más en la consecución de un suministro sustentable de agua; y el seguimiento de trazas distintas pero comunicables entre los desarrollos relacionados con el arsénico y los abastecimientos de agua sustentables a largo plazo.
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Notes
Although reliable data are scarce, in Bangladesh the mortality rate due to diarrheal diseases was estimated at 120,000–200,000 per annum, of which possibly half can be attributed to drinking of pathogen-contaminated water (Dewier and Islam 1997). The best estimates so far for arsenicosis mortality suggest an order of magnitude of 20,000–40,000. These figures are by themselves insufficient to warrant a definitive prioritization, but they do highlight the need for careful consideration of priorities.
Arsenic, for example, substantially lowers the productivity of rice plants at concentrations above 50 μg/L (causing “straight-stem” disease due to small rice grains).
Likely much of the arsenic will be adsorbed onto oxidized iron particles when discharged under aerobic conditions. However, as biomass is collected on the ground and starts rotting in the topsoil during subsequent seasons, the arsenic may be released again.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank two anonymous reviewers and Dr. Karin Kemper (Associate Editor) for their useful comments as well as Ms. Katherin G. Golitzen for editorial assistance. The views expressed in this article are the authors’ and do not necessarily represent those of the World Bank or its affiliated agencies.
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Alaerts, G.J., Khouri, N. Arsenic contamination of groundwater: Mitigation strategies and policies. Hydrogeology Journal 12, 103–114 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-003-0306-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-003-0306-0