Abstract
There is a close association between human biology, epidemiology and public health. Exposure to toxic elements is one area of such associations and global concerns. The Bengal Delta Plain (BDP) is a region where contamination of ground water by arsenic has assumed epidemic proportions. Apart from dermatological manifestations, chronic exposure to arsenic causes a heavy toll through several carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic disorders. This article provides a global overview of groundwater arsenic contamination in the BDP region, especially the sources, speciation, and mobility of arsenic, and critically reviews the effects of arsenic on human health. The present review also provides a summary of comprehensive knowledge on various measures required for mitigation and social consequences of the problem of arsenic contaminated groundwater in the BDP region.
Highlights
There has been a gradual increase in the demand for research in anthropology in the areas of public health over the years
This article provides a global overview of groundwater arsenic contamination in the Bengal Delta Plain (BDP) region, especially the sources, speciation, and mobility of arsenic, and critically reviews the effects of arsenic on human health
The present review provides a summary of comprehensive knowledge on various measures required for mitigation and social consequences of the problem of arsenic contaminated groundwater in the BDP region
Summary
There has been a gradual increase in the demand for research in anthropology in the areas of public health over the years. Very recently, Nelson et al (2019) suggested that the subfields of biological anthropology included primatology, paleoanthropology, molecular anthropology, bio-archaeology, forensic anthropology and human biology They went on to state that many biological anthropologists conduct research that comes under the label of “human biology”. In a noteworthy publication, (Schell and Denham 2003; Schell et al.) observed that urban living today involved several biological challenges, of which one was pollution They went on to suggest using three different types of pollutants as examples, air pollution, lead, and noise, as how the impact of pollution on various aspects of human biology (e.g., mortality, morbidity, reproduction, and development) can be observed. Schell et al (2006) went on to define pollution as “a material or a form of energy that is unwanted, usually because it is believed to be detrimental to health and wellbeing”
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