Arsenic: Occurrence in Groundwater

Abstract

An estimated over 296 million individuals’ lives are potentially at risk due to the groundwater arsenic contamination in over 100 countries worldwide. However, only 13 countries have registered people suffering from arsenic toxicity with arsenical skin lesions and other arsenic-related health effects. The history of groundwater arsenic contamination and associated health effects dates back to early 19th century where victims reported from Argentina, Taiwan, and Mexico. South East Asians are the foremost victims of this poison nectar predominantly in India, Bangladesh, Taiwan, China, Inner Mongolia, Nepal, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Cambodia. An estimated over 200 million people from Asian countries are potentially exposed to arsenic contamination above the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value of arsenic in drinking water (10μgL−1). Last two decades have witnessed several epidemiological studies on chronic arsenic exposure and its carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic health effects. Ecological, case–control, and cohort studies are the major contributors to explain the carcinogenic effects due to the exposure to arsenic through drinking water. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, WHO, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and few other agencies working on health issue consider arsenic a causing agent of skin, lung, liver, urinary bladder, and kidney cancers in prolonged exposure. Various other noncarcinogenic health effects like dermal, cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory, diabetes mellitus, gastrointestinal, and reproductive and developmental results are also due to the chronic arsenic exposure through drinking water. Entry of arsenic into the food chain and human placenta and adverse impacts on the genes are growing concerns among the global scientific communities.