Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

DEVELOPMENT OF ARSENIC TESTING FIELD KIT—A TOOL FOR RAPID ON-SITE SCREENING OF ARSENIC CONTAMINATED WATER SOURCES

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

Recognizing the enormity and severity of the problem of arsenic poisoning in ground water, the capabilities of commercially available arsenic detection field kits were critically evaluated. In the light of findings of the evaluation of these kits, their merits and limitations; a simple, efficient, prudent, userfriendly, indigenous field kit has been developed. The kit can be used for rapid on-site screening of arsenic contaminated water sources and is capable of detecting arsenic concentration as low as 0.01 mg L−1, the guideline value for arsenic set by the WHO. The kit has been subjected to extensive laboratory and field testing. The details of development of the kit and its salient features are presented in the paper.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Chatterjee, A., Das, D., Mandal, B. K., Choudhury, T. R., Samanta, G. and Chakraborti, D.: 1995, ‘Arsenic in groundwater in six districts of West Bengal, India: The biggest arsenic calamity in the world. Part 1. Arsenic species in drinking water and urine of the affected people’, Analyst 120(3), 643–650.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Das, D., Chatterjee, A., Mandal, B. K., Samanta, G., Chakraborti, D. and Chanda, B.: 1995, ‘Arsenic in groundwater in six districts of West Bengal, India: The biggest arsenic calamity in the world. Part 2. Arsenic concentration in drinking water, hair, nails, urine skin-scale and liver tissue (biopsy) of the affected people’, Analyst 120(3), 917–924.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dhar, R. Kr., Biswas, B. Kr., Samanta, G., Mandal, B. Kr., Chakraborti, D., Roy, S., Jafar, A., Islam, A., Ara, G., Kabir, S., Khan Wadud, A., Ahmad, A. Sk. and Hadi, H. Sk.: 1997, ‘Ground water arsenic calamity in Bangladesh’, Current Sci. 73(1), 48–59.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Viraraghavan, T., Subramanium, K. S. and Swaminathan, T. V.: 1994, Environmental Systems Reviews, No. 37, 2.

  • International Agency for Research on Cancer: 1987, Overall Evaluation on Carcinogenicity: An Updating of IARC Monographs, Vols. 1–40, Lyon, 100−106 (IARC Monographs on Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Human, Suppl. 7).

  • Pande, S. P., Deshpande, L. S. and Kaul, S. N.: 2001, ‘Laboratory and field assessment of arsenic testing field kits, in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India’, Environ. Monit. Assess. 68(1), 1–18.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pershagen, G.: 1983, ‘The Epidemiology of Human Arsenic Exposure Biological and Environmental effects of Arsenic’, in B. A. Fowler (ed.), Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, 199–232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shen, Y. S.: 1973, ‘Study of arsenic removal from drinking water’, J. Am. Water Works Assoc. 65, 543–548.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A. N., Hopenhayn-Rich, C., Bates, M. N., Goeden, H. M., Picciotto, I. M., Duggan, H. M., Wood, R., Kosnett, M. J. and Smith, M. T.: 1992, ‘Cancer risks from arsenic in drinking water’, Environ. Health Persp. 97, 259–267.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO-I: Arsenic Pollution in Ground Water in West Bengal, India, WHO Report No. SEA/EH/ Meet.3/6.2, dated 14 April 1997.

  • WHO-II: Arsenic in Ground Water in Bangladesh, WHO Report No. SEA/EH/Meet.3/6.1, dated 14 April 1997.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to LEENA S. DESHPANDE.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

DESHPANDE, L.S., PANDE, S.P. DEVELOPMENT OF ARSENIC TESTING FIELD KIT—A TOOL FOR RAPID ON-SITE SCREENING OF ARSENIC CONTAMINATED WATER SOURCES. Environ Monit Assess 101, 93–101 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-005-9135-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-005-9135-z

Keywords:

Navigation