Difference of Opinion among Experts on the Source of Arsenic Contamination in Bangladesh

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  • AKMAM Wardatul
    Institute of Agricultural and Forest Engineering, University of Tsukuba
  • HIGANO Yoshiro
    Institute of Agricultural and Forest Engineering, University of Tsukuba

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Other Title
  • 事例研究 Difference of Opinion among Experts on the Source of Arsenic Contamination in Bangladesh--Impact on Measures for Remedy
  • ジレイ ケンキュウ Difference of Opinion among Experts on the Source of Arsenic Contamination in Bangladesh Impact on Measures for Remedy
  • Impact on Measures for Remedy

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Description

During the last two decades, the people of Bangladesh have been habituated to drink water from tube wells to avoid water borne diseases. However, recently, it has been found that half of the tube wells of 61 out of 64 districts of the country are affected by arsenic contamination. The permissible limit of arsenic declared by the Bangladesh authorities is .05mg/liter. According to latest statistics, 85 million people are at risk of being poisoned with arsenic, one tenth of whom are likely to have cancer. If one continues to drink arsenic contaminated water or food for ten years or more, he or she is likely to be attacked by melanosis, leuco-melanosis, keratosis, ulcer, gangrene, cancer of the skin, lung, liver, kidney and bladder. So far, 100 people are known to have died of arsenicosis. At present, there are about 10, 000 diagnosed as arsenicosis patients. The source of arsenic contamination in Bangladesh is widely thought to be natural and geological in nature. However, there is controversy among scholars regarding the processes through which the contamination occurs. Controversies in theories must be resolved in order to take appropriate measures to save the affected people. Measures based on wrong theories are likely to make the bad situation even worse. In the present paper, we reflect on the different explanations given by theorists and interview experts (by e-mail) regarding their opinions on this problem in order to clarify the issues related to the source of the arsenic contamination. By doing so, we try to find out appropriate measures to be undertaken.

Journal

  • Studies in Regional Science

    Studies in Regional Science 31 (3), 271-282, 2000

    JAPAN SECTION OF THE REGIONAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

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