A. Meharg Venomous Earth. How Arsenic caused the World's Worst Mass Poisoning. Macmillan, 2005. xii + 192 pp. ISBN-13: 978-1-4039-4499-3 & ISBN-10: 1-4039-4499-7. Price £16.99.

Abstract

Andrew Meharg’s eminently readable popular science book, Venomous Earth , includes a succinct account of how massively hazardous arsenic-bearing shallow aquifers, extensively exploited for drinking and irrigation water in Bangladesh, West Bengal and elsewhere, have, as indicated by the title, caused what has been described as the ‘world’s worst mass poisoning’. Despite its title, however, the bulk of the book concerns itself with an anecdotal history of arsenic and, through its pharmaceutical, industrial and other applications, its health impacts on various other groups of people. The Venomous Earth is well written for the non-technical lay audience. Simple ideas are presented simply. The essences of intricate and complex ideas are distilled into clear, plain English. Particularly in relation to shallow reducing groundwaters in Bengal, there is much complex and contentious debate in the professional community about the biogeochemistry of arsenic, the science, politics, economics and sociology of remediation strategies and even the epidemiology of arsenic related diseases. Meharg has some forthright views on some aspects of these debates and, whilst some of us may disagree with a few of the positions he adopts as well as with some of the detail of the arguments presented (e.g. on p. 33 does he …