Drinking Water In Bangladesh Research Articles

Determination of radon concentration in bottled drinking water of Dhaka City

ABSTRACT Among all natural radiation sources, exposure to radon (222Rn) is considered as the most hazardous to human health. Recognizing the significance of water in preserving a healthy life style, assessing the 222Rn activity in drinking water is crucial. The 222Rn activity concentration was measured in 20 different branded bottled drinking waters purchased from Dhaka city using both alpha and gamma-ray spectrometry systems. Activity concentrations of 222Rn in bottled water obtained via RAD7 detector varied from 0.1 ± 0.02 Bq/L to 0.42 ± 0.01 Bq/L with an average value of 0.26 ± 0.02, while the value varied from 0.12 ± 0.01 Bq/L to 0.52 ± 0.31 Bq/L with an average value of 0.29 ± 0.09 by HPGe detector. The obtained results show lower concentrations when compared with other studies around the world as well as the US-EPA reference level of 11.1 Bq l−1 or 300 pCi l−1. The total annual effective dose calculated for different age groups and internal organ doses were found below the action level recommended by WHO (0.1 mSv y−1) and ICRP (3–10 mSv y−1), due to 222Rn, 3H and 40K in drinking water. Based on the obtained radon concentration and concomitant dose values, this study suggested negligible health hazards due to the consumption of bottled drinking water in Bangladesh. The results of this study could serve as a reference data for future studies in the area and beyond.

Iron, manganese, and lead contamination in groundwater of Bangladesh: a review

Abstract Groundwater is a vital source of safe drinking water in Bangladesh and most South Asian countries. The study aimed to identify the sources and assess the contamination of Fe, Mn, and Pb in groundwater. The study considered published articles, reports, and data repositories of concerned departments over the past two decades using various search engines, including Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, etc. The study results showed the concentrations of Fe, Mn, and Pb in groundwater exceeded 55.93, 75.44, and 37.50%, respectively, of different standards, including the World Health Organization and United Nations Environmental Protection Agency. The concentrations of Fe, Mn, and Pb ranged from 0.003 to 16.6, 0.00063 to 3.11, and 0.0006 to 5.01 mg/L, respectively, and followed the order Fe > Mn > Pb in the groundwater of Bangladesh. Sources of Fe and Mn in groundwater are mostly geogenic in origin, while Pb contamination in groundwater is anthropogenic and derives from industry dust piles, vehicle exhaust discharge, lead pipes, faucets, fixtures, and batteries. The higher levels of heavy metals in groundwater cause health and environmental hazards. The study recommended that the higher concentrations of Fe, Mn, and Pb in groundwater make it unsuitable for drinking purposes and should be treated before consumption.

Microbes-Assisted Arsenate Reduction Activity in Bangladesh Drinking Water Wells as Revealed by Enrichment Cultivation

Arsenate-reducing microorganisms may mobilize arsenic into groundwater. Phylogenetic DNA sequence information cannot exclusively be used to infer arsenate reduction, as the spotted homologies may not translate to biochemical activities. We here develop a cultivation-based metagenomic strategy for inferring actual activities: we complement a cultivation-independent microbial community survey covering 22 arsenic-contaminated drinking water wells in Bangladesh, with the characterization of enrichments of anaerobic arsenate reducers. All investigated samples revealed microbial arsenate reduction activity. The enriched microbial communities were phylogenetically diverse within and between the enrichments. The enrichment also unveiled species: the arsenate-reducing enrichments held 16S rRNA gene sequences closest to Dechloromonas sp., Azonexus fungiphilus, Youngiibacter fragile, Methanogenic prokaryote and Fusibacter sp., in addition to arsenate-reducing Sulfurospirillum strains NP4, b10 and dissimilatory iron-reducing Geobacter species. The enriched arsenate reductase gene (arrA) sequences were closest to sequences in known arsenate reducing Sulfurospirillum barnesii. This study bridges the knowledge gap between cultivation-independent and cultivation-dependent analyses. It clarifies the mechanism for arsenic mobilization and redistribution in rural drinking water wells, as a balance between bioremediation and harmful activities. The identified, potentially dissimilatory arsenate and iron-reducing microbes, constitute a risk for arsenic bioremediation. Appropriate metagenomic and dynamic analyses should help design and maintain safer, effective bioremediation.

Human health risk and hydro-geochemical appraisal of groundwater in the southwest part of Bangladesh using GIS, water quality indices, and multivariate statistical approaches

This study investigated the groundwater chemistry, suitability, and potential human health risk in the southwest part of Bangladesh. Groundwater samples were collected from the shallow aquifer throughout the study area. A set of different hydro-chemical analyses, water quality indices, multivariate statistics, and geo-statistical models were applied to achieve the study objectives. Study results show the concentration of NH3-N, HCO3 −, Ca2 +, As, Fe, and Mn exceeded Bangladesh drinking water standards in 94%, 100%, 100%, 73%, 97%, and 91% of samples, respectively. Groundwater quality indices indicate that about 94% of samples are suitable for irrigation, and about 82% are unsuitable for drinking. In the study area, groundwater is mainly Ca2+-Mg2-HCO3 − types, and rock-water interactions dominate the mineralization process. Ca2+ > Mg2+ > Na+ > K+, and HCO3 − > Cl− > SO4 2− are the sequential orders of major cation and major anion, respectively. Multivariate analyses show the geogenic origin is predominant over anthropogenic sources. Semivariogram models show moderate to weak spatial dependence. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks via oral exposure pathways for adults and children are in the high (97%) and very high (100%) categories, respectively.

Assessment of drinking water quality using physico-chemical parameters around Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh

The quality of surface water is a very sensitive issue and it is a great environmental concern worldwide. In recent years, there has been an increase in awareness and concern about water pollution across the globe. In order to ascertain water quality for human consumption, some physico-chemical properties were evaluated of the drinking water of ten villages around Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh. Standard methods were used for determining physical and chemical characteristics of the water samples. As, Fe and Mn contents of the drinking water samples were also analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The data showed the variation of the investigated parameter in water samples as follows: pH 7.65 to 8.76, Electrical Conductivity (EC) 280 to 750 µS/cm, hardness 120 to 550 mg/l as CaCO3, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) 210 to 1380 mg/l, As 0.0 to 0.082 mg/l, Fe 0.039 to 2.03 mg/l and Mn 0.0 to 0.41 mg/l. The concentrations of testing parameters of all the drinking water samples were not keeping up the World Health Organization drinking water quality guideline and the Bangladesh Drinking Water Quality Standards.

Levels of three heavy metals in ground water and cereals in Chattogram Division, Bangladesh

Heavy metals determination in cereals and vegetables is one of the vital interests, because of their essential or toxic nature. In order to assess the levels and the impact of different toxic metals on human health, a study was carried out to determine the concentration of different toxic metals present in ground water and edible cereals (rice, wheat, and maize), which are grown in Chattogram area of Bangladesh. The concentrations of three heavy metals, Lead (Pb), Chromium (Cr) and Copper (Cu) in ground water and three varieties of cereals were determined by using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Results on ground water showed that the mean concentrations of Pb content were within the permissible limits in terms of Bangladesh Drinking water standards, but exceeds the WHO Drinking Water Standards (WHODWS), US Environmental Protection Agency Drinking Water Standards (USEPADWS) values. However, Cr and Cu content were within the permissible limits in terms of Bangladesh Drinking water standards, WHODWS and USEPADWS values, respectively. The concentrations of Pb, Cr and Cu in rice ranged from 0.853 to 9.265mg/L, 0.096 to 0.475µg/L and 0.096 to 0.562mg/L; in wheat,from 0.363 to7.523 mg/L, 0.056 to 0.284 µg/L and 0.065 to 0.326 mg/L; in maize, from 0.739 to 8.372 mg/L, 0.058 to 0.248 µg/L and 0.036 to 0.478 mg/L, respectively. Thus, awareness should be raised among the people about the adverse health effects of these metals. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of Pb, Cr and Cu for human health is a matter of concern

Provision of folic acid for reducing arsenic toxicity in arsenic-exposed children and adults.

Provision of folic acid for reducing arsenic toxicity in arsenic-exposed children and adults.

Quality Assessment of Bottled and Unbottled Drinking Water in Bangladesh

The demand for bottled drinking water in Bangladesh is becoming popular due to the lack of safe drinking water sources. The present study was carried out to assess the water quality and public health impacts of local brands of bottled drinking water and tube-well water, compared to the imported ones. Several state-of-the-art techniques were employed to determine the contents of pH, EC, salinity, chloride, nitrates, nitrites, fluoride, sulfates, phosphates, bicarbonate, turbidity, color, total hardness, and total dissolved solids in the studied water samples. The measured data show that the level of dissolved minerals in the local branded bottled water is very low (with an exception for sample codes D1 and D8), while imported brands, Zamzam water, and tube-well water contain satisfactory level of minerals and fulfill Dietary Reference Intake requirements. Total coliform, fecal coliform, and E. coli were found to be absent in local brands of bottled water and tube-well water. On the other hand, concentrations of some radionuclides 40K, 238U, 226Ra, 210Pb, 210Po, 222Rn, 137Cs, and 232Th in local bottled water and tube-well water were found to be less than the permissible level given by WHO (2011). The results reveal that local bottled drinking water manufacturing companies may not be following standard guidelines and quality control steps properly. Thus, improvement in their standard operating process is urgently needed to ensure strict compliance with guidelines set by Bangladesh standards and testing institutions.

Application of modified managed aquifer recharge model for groundwater management in drought-prone water-stressed Barind Tract, Bangladesh

The core challenge of Barind Tract (BT), located in the northwest region of Bangladesh, is to make water available for agricultural, drinking, domestic, and other uses and ultimately for the survival of flora and fauna. Over extraction of groundwater for irrigation, less rainfall, fewer sources of surface water, high temperature, and thick top clay that limits the natural recharge are the major causes of continuous depletion of groundwater level (GWL) in the BT, which demands managed aquifer recharge (MAR) technique as the modified form matching with the lithology as well as the aquifer condition of the area. So, the study aimed to design, construct a recharge well (RW) and a water filtration unit as a specific MAR method to evaluate their performance for groundwater recharging through rooftop rainwater harvesting in the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) Mohanpur office campus, Rajshahi under the BT region. In this view, necessary data and information like rainfall, GWL, lithology, and other information related to the study were collected from the BMDA Mohanpur office and field investigation. Lithological samples of the Mohanpur office campus were collected through drilling arrangement, and grain sizes of the aquifer samples were analyzed in the laboratory, then designed the RW and installed at the BMDA Mohanpur office campus accordingly. A water filtration unit was designed considering the average maximum daily rainfall. Rooftop rain waters were collected from the office building and a training shed near the uPVC pipeline, filtered through the sand-gravel filtration media of the filtration unit, and finally recharged to the groundwater through RW. GWL fluctuation of the observation well (OW) installed near the RW was monitored using Auto Water Level Recorder (AWLR). Performances were evaluated based on groundwater recharge, GWL fluctuation with the rainfall, and quality of water. The study found that groundwater recharging occurred significantly, groundwater level rose when rainwater was infiltrated into the groundwater, and water quality parameters remained within the acceptable limit for drinking use according to standards like Bangladesh Drinking Water Standard (2005) and WHO (2008).

One solution to the arsenic problem: a return to surface (improved dug) wells.

Arsenic contamination in drinking-water in Bangladesh is a major catastrophe, the consequences of which exceed most other man-made disasters. The national policy encourages the use of surface water as much as possible without encountering the problems of sanitation that led to the use of groundwater in the first place. This paper describes the success of the Dhaka Community Hospital (DCH) team and the procedure in implementing sanitary, arsenic-free, dugwells. The capital cost for running water is US$ 5-6 per person. Sixty-six sanitary dugwells were installed in phases between 2000 and 2004 in Pabna district of Bangladesh where there was a great need of safe water because, in some villages, 90% of tubewells were highly contaminated with arsenic. In total, 1,549 families now have access to safe arsenic-free dugwell water. Some of them have a water-pipe up to their kitchen. All of these were implemented with active participation of community members. They also pay for water-use and are themselves responsible for the maintenance and water quality. The DCH helped the community with installation and maintenance protocol and also with monitoring water quality. The bacteria levels are low but not always zero, and studies are in progress to reduce bacteria by chlorination.

Association between chronic arsenic exposure and the characteristic features of asthma.

Widespread contamination of arsenic (As) has become a global public health concern. Exposure to As causes respiratory complications. Asthma, a major respiratory complication, is increasing worldwide. However, the effect of chronic As exposure on the risk of asthma remains to be clarified. This study aims to examine the associations between As exposure (water, hair and nail As) and the risk of asthma among 842 individuals exposed to a wide range of As concentrations through drinking water in Bangladesh. Subjects' As exposure levels were measured with ICP-MS. Lung function was examined by a handheld spirometer. Characteristic features of asthma were evaluated by bronchodilator-mediated reversibility in airway obstruction and asthma-like symptoms through a structured questionnaire. Total serum immunoglobulin E (sIgE) levels were measured by immunoassay. As exposure metrics showed inverse associations with lung function measures (FEV1, FEV6, and FEV1/FEV6 ratio) and positive associations with the risks of airway obstruction (AO), reversible airway obstruction (RAO), and asthma-like symptoms. The majority of AO patients (70 of 97) were RAO with one or more characteristic symptoms of asthma. Intriguingly, subjects' As exposure levels showed positive associations with total sIgE levels. Total sIgE in RAO patients was significantly (p<0.001) higher than that in the control group. Thus the results revealed that chronic As exposure was associated with the risk of the characteristic features of asthma. Additionally the association between As exposure and subjects' total sIgE levels and an elevated level of total sIgE in RAO group suggested that As exposure-related asthma might be allergic in nature.

Assessment of Bangladesh groundwater for drinking and irrigation using weighted overlay analysis

A weighted overlay analysis was conducted to calculate Water Quality Index (WQI) for drinking water using WHO and Bangladesh drinking water standards (BDWS) and for irrigation using irrigation water quality standards. The method used a normalized quality rating scale (qi) and relative weight (wi) for several water quality parameters to calculate WQI. This index-based suitability analysis was carried out to assess the overall water quality of groundwater in Bangladesh used for drinking and irrigation purposes.Drinking water quality index (DWQI) calculation was done based on As, Mn and hardness concentrations. For irrigation water quality index (IWQI) As, B, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Na, Zn and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) were used. WQIs were calculated separately for the shallow tube wells (STW) (depth <150 m) and deep tube wells (DTW) (depth >150 m). The results revealed that 40.4% STWs and 88.7% DTWs have safe drinking water according to BDWS 57.6% STWs and 90% DTWs have safe drinking water based on WHO drinking water standards. Irrigation water quality index shows that 8.1% STWs and 23.1% DTWs have safe water quality. It has also been found that majority of deep tube wells have better water quality than shallow tube wells due to lower concentrations of contaminants in the deep tube wells compared to shallow tube wells. Some of the dissolved constituents in the groundwater of Bangladesh can potentially be great source of nutrients supplements required for plant growth. If the nutrients dissolved in groundwater replace the nutrients in fertilizers needed for plant growth, an average of US$12.61(BDT 1069) could be saved, which is approximately 19% of the total fertilizer cost.

Ample Arsenite Bio-Oxidation Activity in Bangladesh Drinking Water Wells: A Bonanza for Bioremediation?

Millions of people worldwide are at risk of arsenic poisoning from their drinking water. In Bangladesh the problem extends to rural drinking water wells, where non-biological solutions are not feasible. In serial enrichment cultures of water from various Bangladesh drinking water wells, we found transfer-persistent arsenite oxidation activity under four conditions (aerobic/anaerobic; heterotrophic/autotrophic). This suggests that biological decontamination may help ameliorate the problem. The enriched microbial communities were phylogenetically at least as diverse as the unenriched communities: they contained a bonanza of 16S rRNA gene sequences. These related to Hydrogenophaga, Acinetobacter, Dechloromonas, Comamonas, and Rhizobium/Agrobacterium species. In addition, the enriched microbiomes contained genes highly similar to the arsenite oxidase (aioA) gene of chemolithoautotrophic (e.g., Paracoccus sp. SY) and heterotrophic arsenite-oxidizing strains. The enriched cultures also contained aioA phylotypes not detected in the previous survey of uncultivated samples from the same wells. Anaerobic enrichments disclosed a wider diversity of arsenite oxidizing aioA phylotypes than did aerobic enrichments. The cultivatable chemolithoautotrophic and heterotrophic arsenite oxidizers are of great interest for future in or ex-situ arsenic bioremediation technologies for the detoxification of drinking water by oxidizing arsenite to arsenate that should then precipitates with iron oxides. The microbial activities required for such a technology seem present, amplifiable, diverse and hence robust.

Assessment of drinking water quality characteristics and quality index of Rajshahi city, Bangladesh

The present study on chemistry, environmetrics and quality index of 116 groundwater samples collected in pre- and post-monsoon periods in the years of 2014 and 2015 from the drought-prone Rajshahi City Corporation area, Bangladesh, is carried out for its drinking suitability from management perspective. According to the Bangladesh Drinking Water Standards (2005), parameters like pH, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−, Fe(total) and Mn2+ exceed the desirable limit, but within permissible limit without adverse effect except Mg2+ concentration, which accounts for 45% in pre-monsoon period and makes groundwater unsafe for drinking purposes. The groundwater belongs to alkaline earth elements (Ca2++Mg2+) and exceed alkali elements (Na++K+), and weak acids (HCO3−) exceed the strong acids (SO42−) where Ca2+ and HCO3− are dominant ions, and attribute to temporary hardness of groundwater. The groundwater of the aquifer is of Ca2+–Mg2+–HCO3− type. The source of different ions is associated with partial ion exchanges, weathering of calcareous nodules and clay minerals, flow of groundwater system through aquifer lithology, municipal sewerage, anthropogenic influence, etc. The drinking water quality index also reveals that groundwater mostly falls in ‘good’ category having suitability for drinking purposes round the year. But increasing population and water demand in the area may create threat of quality hazard in near future, and regular groundwater quality monitoring should be carried out periodically for supplying safe drinking water to city dwellers.

Evaluation of harvested rainwater quality at primary schools of southwest coastal Bangladesh

Rainwater is a typical source of drinking water in the coastal areas of Bangladesh given the acute scarcity of drinking water. This study assessed potability of harvested rainwater of primary schools in southwest coastal Bangladesh. Water samples collected from 23 primary schools of Mongla sub-district under Bagerhat district were evaluated for indicator bacteria (total coliform (TC) and E. coli) and physico-chemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved solid, Fe, Zn, Pb, and Cd). Median concentrations of TC and E. coli in the harvested rainwater samples were respectively 3000cfu/100ml and 6cfu/100ml. However, concentrations of these indicator bacteria were lower at the consumption points which received a prior treatment. Concentration of Pb exceeded the maximum allowable limit for drinking water indicated by WHO and Bangladesh drinking water guideline value in 92% and 61% of the samples respectively, and the mean concentration was 0.08mg/l (8 times higher than the WHO guideline value). The Pb contamination possibly occurred from the painting on roof railing and roof stair room. Therefore, consumption of harvested rainwater at primary schools may cause substantial health risk for the school-going children.

Water quality of small-scale desalination plants in southwest coastal Bangladesh

AbstractSouthwest coastal Bangladesh has an acute scarcity of safe drinking water. Both the government and non-government organizations are now promoting reverse osmosis based small scale desalination plants (SSDPs) to ensure safe drinking water. The aim of this study was to assess the physico-chemical and bacteriological quality of the desalination plants (DPs) installed in southwest coastal Bangladesh. Water samples were collected from the inlet and outlet of 10 DPs. The product water mostly complied with water quality standards. High levels of total dissolved solids (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC) in feed water were reduced significantly after the treatment, although 10% and 20% of the product water samples respectively did not comply with the WHO drinking water standards for those parameters. Compliance of product water with the WHO and Bangladesh drinking water standards for chloride, bicarbonate and sodium were found in respectively 80%, 90% and 70% of the samples, although their concentrations in all the feed water samples were higher than both of the standards. About one-third of the DPs did not meet the drinking water standard for sodium, which may be an important health concern for the people consuming this water. Apart from one of the DPs, all of them complied with the standard for faecal coliform and Escherichia coli. Results suggest that proper maintenance of the SSDPs is necessary to ensure safe drinking water for the coastal population of southwest Bangladesh.

ARSENIC-SAFE AQUIFERS IN COASTAL BANGLADESH: AN INVESTIGATION WITH ORDINARY KRIGING ESTIMATION

Abstract. Spatial point pattern is one of the most suitable methods for analysing groundwater arsenic concentrations. Groundwater arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh has been one of the biggest environmental health disasters in recent times. About 85 million people are exposed to arsenic more than 50 μg/L in drinking water. The paper seeks to identify the existing suitable aquifers for arsenic-safe drinking water along with “spatial arsenic discontinuity” using GIS-based spatial geostatistical analysis in a small study site (12.69 km2) in the coastal belt of southwest Bangladesh (Dhopakhali union of Bagerhat district). The relevant spatial data were collected with Geographical Positioning Systems (GPS), arsenic data with field testing kits, tubewell attributes with observation and questionnaire survey. Geostatistics with kriging methods can design water quality monitoring in different aquifers with hydrochemical evaluation by spatial mapping. The paper presents the interpolation of the regional estimates of arsenic data for spatial discontinuity mapping with Ordinary Kriging (OK) method that overcomes the areal bias problem for administrative boundary. This paper also demonstrates the suitability of isopleth maps that is easier to read than choropleth maps. The OK method investigated that around 80 percent of the study site are contaminated following the Bangladesh Drinking Water Standards (BDWS) of 50 μg/L. The study identified a very few scattered “pockets” of arsenic-safe zone at the shallow aquifer.

Provision of folic acid for reducing arsenic toxicity in arsenic-exposed children and adults

Provision of folic acid for reducing arsenic toxicity in arsenic-exposed children and adults

Dental erosion potential of beverages and bottled drinking water in Bangladesh

ABSTRACTDental erosion is a growing health problem linked to the exceptional increase in the consumption of soft drinks, fruit juices, and sport drinks in many countries including Bangladesh. Dental erosion is the chemical dissolution of the dental hard tissues by acids without the involvement of microorganisms. Hydrogen ions (H+) from acidic solutions can replace the calcium ions (Ca2+) of the enamel, consequently breaking the crystal structure of the enamel and initiating dental erosion. Erosive tooth wear can lead to severe impairment of esthetics along with loss of hardness and functionality. Sources of the erosive acidic challenges can be intrinsic (i.e., gastroesophaegal reflux disease) and/or extrinsic (i.e., exposure from acidic foods and beverages). Continuous intake of drinks or food with pH lower than the critical erosive pH of enamel (5.2–5.5) and root dentin (~6.7) are considered to be responsible for dental erosion. Drinks with low pH and high titratable acidity (TA) have more potential to dissolved enamel and root dentin; on the other hand, drinks with low degree of saturation can stimulate leaching of minerals. In Bangladesh, there is limited scientific information available to assess the potential of dental erosion of the commercially available beverages and drinking water. This research aims to characterize the dental erosion potential of soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit juices, and bottled drinking water available in Bangladesh by determining their pH, TA, calcium (Ca2+), and phosphate (PO43−). The degrees of saturation of the selected samples were calculated from the experimental results of pH, calcium, and phosphate levels. Soft drinks were found to have high erosion potential followed by energy drinks, fruit juices, and bottled drinking water. Most of the beverages locally available were found highly acidic. Phosphate levels were high in black cola drinks. Total TA was highest for the energy drinks, and moderate for soft drinks and fruit juices. Fruit juices contained high level of calcium compared with other beverages. The degree of saturation was moderate for fruit juices, and very low for few of the soft drinks and most of the bottled drinking waters. This study will be useful as a reference line for the health professionals and regulatory authorities for quality control of the beverages and bottled drinking water available in the local market.

Aquifer Geometry and Water Quality in Relation to Occurrence and Distribution of Peat in Baghia-Chanda Beel, Bangladesh

Baghia-Chanda Beel, largest peat basin in Madaripur and Gopalganj (Bangladesh) districts occupies thick deposits of peat. Study focuses on the aquifer geometry and geochemical evaluation of groundwater in relation to occurrence and distribution of peat. Landuse map is generated to show the surface distribution of peat. Thick peat and clay layer respectively, with an average thickness of 7 ft, has been observed throughout the study area. Principal productive aquifer about 40 ft thick, is found at depth between 35 to 145 ft below ground surface. According to pH and EC values, groundwater is mildly acidic to slightly alkaline and fresh to brackish. High bicarbonate concentration which is more likely to be attributed from the oxidative degradation of peat is found at shallow aquifer below peat. Elevated sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) concentrations in deep aquifer are due to the trapping of ancient sea water in the subsurface during Quaternary period. Although deep aquifer is extensively low in arsenic, 68% and 44% shallow groundwater samples are arsenic (As) contaminated according to WHO, 2011 and Bangladesh Drinking Water Standard (DoE, 1997) limit respectively. Assessment of Water Quality Indexes (WQI&gt;100) suggests that water from deep aquifer is more suitable for drinking purposes.