Chapter 33 - Normative role of WHO in mitigating health impacts of chronic arsenic exposure in the South-east Asia region

Abstract

Groundwater contamination in excess of the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value of 0.01 mg/l or the respective prevailing national standard has been observed in many parts of the world. The South-East Asia region encompasses a population of almost 1.9 billion, spanning over several geographic zones and comprising 10 member countries. Groundwater from tube wells is a predominant source of drinking water in many of the member countries. For instance, about 10 million of such tube wells have been dug during the green revolution in Bangladesh and the As concentrations in some of these tube wells can be sometimes 25-fold in excess to the WHO guideline value. Well-protected groundwater is safer in terms of microbial quality than water from open dug wells and ponds. However, groundwater is notoriously prone to chemical contaminants, including As from geological or anthropogenic sources.