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Img: Wastewater pollution. Source: Wikipedia.

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UNICEF: Eighty Percent of World's Arsenic Poisoned Live in Asia

Dhaka, Bangladesh: More than eighty percent of the 60 million people in the world who consume high levels of arsenic through poisoned drinking water live in Asia, according to a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) statement released in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka on Sunday April 5. Dhaka, Bangladesh: More than eighty percent of the 60 million people in the world who consume high levels of arsenic through poisoned drinking water live in Asia, according to a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) statement released in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka on Sunday April 5.

Of the Asian countries, Bangladesh and India are by far the worst affected' with a total of 30 million exposed through drinking water containing high levels of arsenic. According to the UN body's statement, arsenic is tasteless, odorless and colorless and enters drinking water through natural seepage into the ground from mineral deposits or agricultural or industrial waste.

Ingestion of the element over a long period of time causes severe health problems including skin lesions, cancer of skin, lung and bladder. Prolonged exposure to arsenic poisoning is usually fatal.

Though Bangladesh has done much to reverse a disastrous plan funded by the UN in the 1970s to drill wells to provide drinking water to replace the use of surface water, more needed to be done, said UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh Carel de Rooy.

During the well-drilling project, little in the way of arsenic testing was carried out by water experts at the time of the drilling of wells for Bangladeshi villagers. Many people, particularly in rural areas, were exposed to contaminated water through the wells which naturally contained large amounts of arsenic.

Speaking at a five-day International Learning Exchange (ILE) conference in Dhaka, de Rooy said: "Bangladesh has accomplished a lot in terms of arsenic mitigation during the past decade. As a result, millions of people in arsenic-affected parts of Bangladesh have already switched to safe drinking water. But millions more remain exposed to arsenic."

"We need to come up with a clear strategy and a detailed investment plan to provide arsenic-free water to all citizens of Bangladesh by 2011 as pledged by the (Bangladeshi) government," he stated.

Rick Johnston, a UNICEF specialist in water, environment and sanitation, told the ILE conference the arsenic contamination situation was: "... a very serious issue. It needs more efforts."

He added that the conference -- which consisted of representatives of twelve Asian nations who had major problems with arsenic poisoning -- would gather to exchange ideas and discuss ways in which governments and aid agencies could combine to mitigate the effects of arsenic poisoning and promote safe drinking water.

[Image: Water supply/flickr]

Published in OOSKAnews Water Weekly: Southern and Eastern Asia
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