Tubewell Water Research Articles

Water Quality Studies of the Kapadak River Basin, South-Western Bangladesh with Special Emphasis on Environmental Degradation

The Kapadak River basin in SW Bangladesh lies on late Holocene-Recent alluvium of the Ganges deltaic plain in the north and Ganges estuarine plain in the south. The anion and cation trends in the analyzed shallow-tube well and river water are $${\bf{C}}{{\bf{l}}^ - }{\bf{ > HCO}}_{\bf{3}}^ - {\bf{ > NO}}_{\bf{3}}^ - {\bf{ > S}}{{\bf{O}}_{\bf{4}}}^{{\bf{2}} - }$$ and Na+>K+>Ca2+>Mg2+ respectively. The groundwater of the area is of sodium-calcium cation facies and chloride-bicarbonate to carbonate- sulfate anion facies. The river water is of sodium-potassium cation facies and chloride-bicarbonate—sulphate to chloride —sulphate-bicarbonate anion facies. The shallow tube well is contaminated with arsenic which exceeds the WHO recommended value for drinking water (10 µg/l). The shallow water contains salinity above the standard which is unsuitable for drinking as well as for agricultural activities. The concentration of arsenic, sodium, calcium, potassium, chlorine, bicarbonate, percentage of salinity and specific electrical conductance decreases with increasing depth. The shallow tube well water of the study area is very saline exceeding the permissible limit and requires treatment. The deep tube-well water contains lower amount of arsenic and sodium, lower percentage of salinity and specific electrical conductance in comparison to shallow tube-well water. As a result, the deep tube-well water is free from arsenic toxicity and has low to high salinity hazard, but is also hard that exceeds the tolerable limit of hardness of groundwater for drinking, public health and agricultural purposes and requires softening. The Kapadak river water is highly concentrated with sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, bicarbonate, and specific electrical conductance which cause the deterioration of river water quality for agricultural purposes. According to the values of TDS, EC, boron concentration, Na%, and SAR, the shallow tube-well water as well as river water is of poor quality and unsafe for irrigation purposes, while the deep tube-well water is poorly safe for drinking and irrigation purposes. As a whole in the study area groundwater quality degrades from north to south as southern part is inundated regularly by saline estuarine water. The chemical weathering of rock-forming minerals influences the groundwater quality. Entrapped saline water in the aquifers during the Holocene time is the main source of salinity in this area with minor contribution from dissolution of halides and saline estuarine water in the Kapadak river due to tidal inundation.

Studies on the Culture Condition of Pangus (Pangasius hypophthalmus) at Different Farms in Trishal Upazila

The present study was conducted to investigate existing culture conditions of pangus (Pangasius hypophthalmus) at farms in Trishal Upazila under Mymensingh district during January to June, 2016. Data were collected with questionnaire by personal interviewing of the respondents. The study result showed that- the farmers of large category are about 60% where 47% farmers have leased pond. Most of the farmer use deep tube-well water as source, 87% farmers practice monoculture of pangus and monitored the health of fish in a regular basis. Only 13% farmer reported diseases occurred in their pond. Most of the pangus farmers used homemade or local farm made supplementary feeds for pangus culture. The study showed that development of better farming system, improving water management, stocking of quality fingerlings, health monitoring and use of prime and standard quality feed has resulted better pangus production in Trishal area.
 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 11(1-2): 97-107 2018

Women employment in agricultural sector: Effects on livelihoods

Women in Bangladesh are involved with agriculture in planting, harvesting and post-harvest processing. Present study investigated the socio-economic, hygienic and maternal health of the women working in agricultural sector (employee) and women who are involved in other works (non-employee) in the same community to evaluate impacts of agriculture on women life style. Data was collected from Chittagong, Dinajpur and Mymensingh district using questionnaire survey. The survey results revealed that medium household size (61.9% and 57.8%), primary education (51.4% and 49.1%), married (93.6% and 91.4%) was dominant among employee and non-employee women, respectively. Average monthly household income and expenditure of the employees were Tk. 11532 and Tk. 8926, respectively while in non-employee women were Tk. 9686 and Tk. 7848, respectively. Most of the employee and non-employee women had facilities for drinking tube-well water (91.9% and 81.5%) and use polli electricity (69.9% and 68.2%) in the areas. This indicates that higher income from agriculture has a positive impact on life style of employee women. Clean house, hand washing, garbage disposal and ingredients wash before cooking constituted highest percentage of the respondents in both cases. Current study revealed that health check during pregnancy, T.T. coverage and normal delivery process was good among the employee women. Body Mass Index (BMI) results revealed that 68.2% employee women was under normal weight while 42.8% non-employee women was underweight. Besides, obesity rate was significantly higher among the non-employee women (25.4%) which is only 2.9% among the employee community. The study observed and suggesting that employee women in agriculture have better life style, more income, hygiene practice, good maternal health and better nutritional status than the non-employee women in the same community.
 J Bangladesh Agril Univ 17(3): 375–379, 2019

Impact of drinking water salinity on children's education: Empirical evidence from coastal Bangladesh

This study examines the impact of drinking water salinity on children's education using a unique and rich dataset collected from eight southwest coastal districts of Bangladesh. Salinity concentration in drinking water is measured at the household level using water samples from households' primary source of drinking water during the summer, wet and dry season of 20014−15. A third of the deep tube-well water samples was found to be slightly (1000 < TDS < 2000 mg/l) to moderately (TDS ≥ 2000 mg/l) saline. Linking the child-level data on educational outcome to water salinity (i.e. TDS level), the study reveals a statistically significant negative effect of excessive salinity on grade advancement for 7–12 year old children. More specifically, exposure to excessive drinking water salinity (TDS > 1000 mg/l) decreases the grade advancement likelihood of 7–12 year old children by 6.7 percentage points. The results remain robust to alternative model and econometric specifications. The adverse effect of salinity on grade advancement does not vary significantly across the gender of the child while poverty, as expected, exacerbates the effect. Impaired cognitive development due to early childhood exposure appears to be the most plausible channel through which the negative effects of excessive sodium consumption permeate to young children's educational deficit. Additionally, poor health of the adults and elevated medical expenditure play a small yet significant mediating role.

Suitability of Tube-Wells Water for Drinking at Lalpur Upazila in Natore District, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Suitability of Tube-Wells Water for Drinking at Lalpur Upazila in Natore District, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Effect of Different Tillage Implements and Gypsum for Fodder Production in Salt Affected Soils using High RSC Water

Abstract Selection of suitable tillage implement, as well as amendments, is very important for the reclamation of salt affected soils. For this purpose, a field study was performed using the different rates of gypsum and tillage implements for the production of sorghum and berseem fodders in salt affected field using high RSC water. Treatments including were T1: control (cultivator twice), T2: modified chisel plough (twice), T3: chisel plough (twice), T4: modified chisel plough (twice) + gypsum application @ 100% GR of soil, T5: modified chisel plough (twice) + gypsum application @ 50% GR of soil, T6: chisel plough (twice) + gypsum application @ 100% GR of soil, T7: chisel plough (twice) + gypsum application @ 50% GR of soil. A moderately salt affected field {ECe = 5.37 (d Sm−1), pHs = 9.18, SAR = 34.01 (m mol L−1)1/2 and GR 3.10 t acre−1} was selected. Field was leveled, prepared and gypsum was applied according to treatment plan, followed by leaching. Tubewell water {ECiw= 1.34 dS m−1, RSC= 8.50 me L−1 and SAR= 12.72 (mmol L−1)1/2} was used for irrigation. Gypsum was also applied before sowing of each crop on RSC basis of water. The trial was performed in the RCBD design with three replications. Pooled data of three years showed that maximum fodder yield of sorghum (38.44 t ha−1) and berseem (60.21 t ha−1) was recorded with modified chisel plough (twice) + gypsum @ 100% GR of soil. Data regarding the soil qualities revealed that soil pHs, ECe, SAR and BD decreased by 4.24, 30.72 and 31.37, respectively, while HC was increased by 130 % with use of modified chisel plough (twice) + gypsum @ 100% GR of soil, as compared to control.

High arsenic contamination and presence of other trace metals in drinking water of Kushtia district, Bangladesh

Drinking water with excessive concentration levels of arsenic (As) is a great threat to human health. A hydrochemical approach was employed in 50 drinking water samples (collected from Kushtia district, Bangladesh) to examine the occurrence of geogenic As and the presence of trace metals (TMs), as well as the factors controlling As release in aquifers. The results reveal that the drinking water of shallow aquifers is highly contaminated by As (6.05–590.7 μg/L); 82% of samples were found to exceed the WHO recommended limit (10 μg/L) for potable water, but the concentrations of Si, B, Mn, Sr, Se, Ba, Fe, Cd, Pb, F, U, Ni, Li, and Cr were within safe limits. The Ca-HCO3-type drinking water was identified as having high contents of As, pH and HCO3−, a medium-high content EC, and low concentrations of NO3−, SO42−, K+, and Cl−. The significant correlation between As and NO3− indicates that NO3− might be attributed to the use of phosphate fertilizers and a factor responsible for enhancing As in aquifers. The study also reports that the occurrence of high As and the presence of TMs in drinking water may be a result of local anthropogenic activities, such as irrigation, intensive land use and the application of agrochemicals. The insignificant correlation between As and SO42− demonstrated that As is released from SO42− minerals under reducing conditions. An elevated pH value along with decoupling of As and HCO3− plays a vital role in mobilizing As to aquifer systems. Moreover, the positive relationship between As and Si indicated that As is transported in the biogeochemical environment. The reductive suspension of Mn(IV)-oxyhydroxides also accelerated the As mobilization process. Over exploitation of tube-well water and the competitive ion exchange process are also responsible for the release of As in aquifers.

Status of drinking water quality and sanitation facilities in Subarnachar and Maijdee in Noakhali, Bangladesh

The study was executed in Noakhali sadar (urban) and Subarnachar upazil (rural) to determine the drinking water quality and sanitation facilities. The baseline data was collected based on questionnaire survey. And the physicochemical and ionic constituents of drinking water were determined by analyzing water samples. The result showed that in rural areas about 87.5% families utilized tube-well water and the rest used polluted pond water, while in the urban areas, 91% families utilized supplied water by paying monthly. The sanitation situation in the rural area was not at satisfactory level. The mean values of several critical parameters from the two areas (rural and urban) were found to be the following. pH values were 7.10 and 7.63, respectively. Electric conductivity was found to be 530.17 and 768.76 μS/cm, respectively. Salinity value was 0.23 and 0.35 ppt, respectively. Total dissolved solid (TDS) was found to be 264.91 and 372.82 ppm, respectively. Elemental composition of the sampled water from the two areas were also obtained. Mean values of the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) from the two areas were found to be 7.24 and 7.52 mg/l, respectively. Among the other elements, amount of phosphorus was 0.55 and 0.46 ppm, potassium was 43.82 and 35.82 mg/l, sulfate was 10.03 and 1.00 mg/l, chloride was 42.15 and 149.95 mg/l, and iron was 5.57 and 1.30 mg/l, respectively. It is clear that the drinking water quality for both areas was not good for direct consumption. The situation in the rural areas is worse than that in the urban areas.&#x0D; Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. March 2019, 5(1): 37-47

Effect of Different Irrigation Sources on Growth, Yield and Heavy Metals Accumulation in Tomato and Okra

Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of different irrigation sources (canal, tube-well and sewage) on growth, yield and heavy metal uptake of two summer vegetables i.e. tomato and okra. Growth attributes (plant height, number of leaves, relative leaf chlorophyll content and leaf area) and yield components (number of fruits / pods per plant and fruit size) of okra and tomato were significantly increased with sewage water application. Lesser growth and yield of the studied vegetables was recorded with tube-well water. Use of sewage water improved total yields and fresh and dry plant biomass production of both the vegetables. Significantly higher and lower lead (Pb), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr) and iron (Fe) contents were recorded in edible parts of the sewage and tube-well water irrigated vegetables, respectively. Edible parts (tomato fruits and okra pods) of the sewage water irrigated vegetables exhibited heavy metals contents above the maximum permissible limits. Leaf and root samples of the sewage water irrigated tomato and okra also contained significantly greater metals contents as compared to those irrigated with canal and tube-well water. It is concluded that vegetables irrigated with sewage water produced greater yields but these were found contaminated with heavy metals.

Adaptation of metal and antibiotic resistant traits in novel β-Proteobacterium Achromobacter xylosoxidans BHW-15.

Chromosomal co-existence of metal and antibiotic resistance genes in bacteria offers a new perspective to the bacterial resistance proliferation in contaminated environment. In this study, an arsenotrophic bacterium Achromobacter xylosoxidans BHW-15, isolated from Arsenic (As) contaminated tubewell water in the Bogra district of Bangladesh, was analyzed using high throughput Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine (PGM) complete genome sequencing scheme to reveal its adaptive potentiality. The assembled draft genome of A. xylosoxidans BHW-15 was 6.3 Mbp containing 5,782 functional genes, 1,845 pseudo genes, and three incomplete phage signature regions. Comparative genome study suggested the bacterium to be a novel strain of A. xylosoxidans showing significant dissimilarity with other relevant strains in metal resistance gene islands. A total of 35 metal resistance genes along with arsenite-oxidizing aioSXBA, arsenate reducing arsRCDAB, and mercury resistance merRTPADE operonic gene cluster and 20 broad range antibiotic resistance genes including β-lactams, aminoglycosides, and multiple multidrug resistance (MDR) efflux gene complex with a tripartite system OM-IM-MFP were found co-existed within the genome. Genomic synteny analysis with reported arsenotrophic bacteria revealed the characteristic genetic organization of ars and mer operonic genes, rarely described in β-Proteobacteria. A transposon Tn21 and mobile element protein genes were also detected to the end of mer (mercury) operonic genes, possibly a carrier for the gene transposition. In vitro antibiotic susceptibility assay showed a broad range of resistance against antibiotics belonging to β-lactams, aminoglycosides, cephalosporins (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generations), monobactams and even macrolides, some of the resistome determinants were predicted during in silico analysis. KEGG functional orthology analysis revealed the potential of the bacterium to utilize multiple carbon sources including one carbon pool by folate, innate defense mechanism against multiple stress conditions, motility, a proper developed cell signaling and processing unit and secondary metabolism-combination of all exhibiting a robust feature of the cell in multiple stressed conditions. The complete genome of the strain BHW-15 stands as a genetic basis for the evolutionary adaptation of metal and the antibiotic coexistence phenomenon in an aquatic environment.

Role of container type, behavioural, and ecological factors in Aedes pupal production in Dhaka, Bangladesh: An application of zero-inflated negative binomial model

The container-inhabiting Aedes mosquitoes are the major vectors transmitting dengue and several other arboviral diseases such as chikungunya and zika across the tropical world. Surveillance for immature Aedes, particularly pupae, is an effective tool for measuring dengue outbreak risk. While in Bangladesh, the greatest burden of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever cases has periodically been occurring since the first major outbreak in 2000, very limited research has yet been pursued to understand the dynamics of Aedes pupal production in this country. In this backdrop, this study was carried out to i) identify containers at household premises contributing to dengue vector productivity; ii) measure the extent of pupae productivity of household containers; and, iii) determine the effects of household ecological factors upon productivity of pupae in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. During the monsoon months of 2013, a total of 1,033 containers (674 wet and 363 dry) in 727 household premises in 12 wards of the city of Dhaka were inspected to measure container productivity and collect household ecological, and human behavioural data. The results reveal that the majority of immature mosquitoes (73.52% larvae and 84.91% pupae) developed in containers located outdoor that are used mostly for household chores. Plastic containers (57.55% of all immature mosquito-positive containers) used for household chores produce most of the immature mosquitos. The results of the zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) model reveal that pupae production significantly varies by container type (p-value = 0.0136) for the count regression group. However, when considering container size along with container type, container size is found significant for pupae production (p-value = 0.0041), showing that container size is confounded with the container type and the pupae production. Containers greater than 50 litres (L) are likely to produce 4.9 times more pupae than containers with <1L. Two household ecological factors are found to be significant (shade: p-value = 0.005 in the count regression group and type of water: p-value = 0.001 in the excess zero group) for pupae production. We found that containers with partial shade produce 4.6 times more pupae than without any shade, whereas in the excess zero group the expected number of observed zero pupae count is 86.5% lower in containers filled with rain water than those with tap water, tube-well water, ring well water and water from other sources. The most commonly used plastic-made containers (i.e., refrigerator trays, drums, buckets) and flower tubs/trays are the most abundant immature mosquito-positive containers. These findings would help the concerned authorities to formulate programs for changing human behaviour targeting the most productive containers for Aedes habitat management and vector control in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Butyrylcholinesterase-a potential plasma biomarker in manganese-induced neurobehavioral changes.

Groundwater particularly drinking water contamination with metals has created an environmental disaster in Bangladesh. Manganese (Mn), an essential trace element, plays a key role in the development and function of the brain. Excess Mn exposure is reported to be associated with complex neurological disorders. Here, we have found a notably large extent of Mn above the permissive limit in the tube-well water of Rajshahi and Naogaon districts in Bangladesh. Higher levels of Mn in hair and nail samples, and a decreasing level of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity were detected in plasma samples of the human subjects recruited from Naogaon district. Mn concentrations in water, hair, and nails were negatively correlated with the plasma BChE levels in Mn-exposed populations. To compare and validate these human studies, an animal model was used to determine the in vivo effects of Mn on neurobehavioral changes and blood BChE levels. In elevated plus maze, the time spent was significantly reduced in open arms and increased in closed arms of Mn-exposed mice compared to control group. The mean latency time to find the platform was declined significantly in control mice compared to Mn-treated group during 7days in Morris water maze test, and Mn-exposed group also spent significantly less time in the desired quadrant as compared to the control group in probe trial. BChE activity was significantly reduced in Mn-exposed mice compared to control mice. Taken together, these results suggest that plasma BChE levels may serve as reliable biomarker of Mn-induced neurotoxicity related to behavioral changes.

Adverse effects of environmental lead exposure on hepatic, renal and thyroid function of buffaloes

Lead emitting industries pose a risk of contamination of surface and ground water, soil and fodder by dissemination of the particles carrying lead by wind action and by runoff from the tailings which cause numerous biochemical, immunological and reproductive disturbances in animals. Samples (n-20) of tube-well water, surface soil and fodder were collected from an uncontaminated area with water lead level within the permissible limit (0.05µg/ml) which served as control, and from the lead contaminated area (n=25) of Ludhiana (Punjab) with water lead level above the permissible limit. Blood level of lead (&gt;0.24µg/ml) was used to decide the exposure group. The biochemical profile of the buffaloes exposed to lead showed hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyridemia and hyperglycemia as compared to control group. The activity of serum enzymes viz alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase showed significant (p less than 0.05) elevation in lead exposed buffaloes. There was significant (p less than 0.05) increase in levels of plasma urea and creatinine, however, tri-iodothyrinine and thyroxine concentrations were significantly (p less than 0.05) declined in lead exposed buffaloes as compared to control animals. Blood lead levels were significantly correlated with alterations in different biochemical indices in lead exposed buffaloes indicating the adverse effect on hepatic, renal and thyroid function.

Quality Assessment of Surface and Drinking Water of Nakla Paurosova, Sherpur, Bangladesh

Water is one of the most vital elements of ecosystem and human being, but unfortunately nowadays, the pollution of surface and drinking water is an alarming problem. The present work deals with the assessment of physicochemical and bacteriological profile of several pond, jar and tube-well water samples to ensure its suitability for using and drinking. Total 30 samples were randomly selected and collected from Nakla Paurosova of Sherpur district by following the standard procedure. Bacteriological analysis was carried out by following the standard bacteriological methods. Most of the surface water sampling points were polluted by dumping of waste, cattle wash and were not suitable for drinking or other domestic purposes. Among three heavy metals, only Iron was detected in six tube-well water samples, one was also positive to arsenic, rest of the water bodies were negative to all of these metals. In case of most of the water bodies, different physicochemical properties were below standard limit. In pond water, the Total Viable Count (TVC) ranged from 2.7 × 107 cfu/100ml to 4.4 × 1015 cfu/100ml and Total Coliform Count (TCC) were 3.4 × 105 cfu/100ml to 4.8 × 1013 cfu/100ml, where the mean concentration of Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) was 2.4 × 105 cfu/100ml and 1.8 × 105 cfu/100ml in jar and tube-well water respectively. On the other hand, the Total Coliform Count of supply water was 33 cfu/100ml and tube-well water was 14 cfu/100ml. Fecal coliform was detected in all of the pond water samples, four jar and three tube-well water too. E. coli was present in all pond water samples, and also detected in 80% supply and 50% tube-well water also. Shigella spp. was found in two pond water and in one supply water, where tube-well water was free from it. Salmonella spp. was also detected in 30% of pond and 20% of supply water, whereas absent in tube-well water. 50% of pond, 40% of supply and 30% of tube-well water were contaminated with Vibrio spp. The total counts of these pathogenic bacteria exceeded the acceptable limit both surface and drinking water and also showed resistance against a broad range of commercially available antibiotics. Survey-based result revealed that, peoples of the study area who were using or drinking these water, were suffering from various water borne diseases. These kinds of water sources pose a major threat to public health. So, public awareness, proper treatment and precise management are needed prior to use and drink of these water.

Effect of Addition of Farmyard Manure and Lime on Chemical Fractionation of Chromium in Soils and its Bioavailability to Maize

Glasshouse experiment was carried out by growing maize crop in a tubewell water irrigated soil after spiking with different levels of chromium (Cr) in the presence and absence of amendments. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized factorial design with three replications. Maize crop was harvested at 45 days of growth. The soil samples after harvest of maize were collected. To study the change in bioavailability of Cr to maize in the presence of amendments, soil samples collected after harvest were analyzed for transformations in Cr associated with different soil fractions namely, exchangeable + water soluble, carbonate bound, easily reducible oxide bound, organic matter bound, reducible oxides and residual fractions. The results revealed that with the increase in level of applied Cr, the content of Cr in maize shoot increased from 1.85 to 28.2 mg kg−1. The application of farmyard manure (FYM) decreased the Cr content by 2.6 per cent in maize shoot at 320 mg kg−1 of applied Cr in comparison to uncontaminated treatment. Application of lime also decreased the shoot Cr content by 11.5 per cent up to 160 mg kg−1 of applied Cr. It was observed that increase in levels of Cr increased the Cr content in each soil fraction with higher increase in more labile fraction and further transformation of Cr to relatively lesser available fraction. Addition of amendments significantly decreased the concentration of exchangeable + water soluble Cr, carbonate bound, easily reducible oxide bound fractions but increased the organic matter bound, reducible oxide bound and residual fraction of chromium.

Livelihood status of women workers in shrimp sector at south western region in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, women are engaging in shrimp sector to support themselves and their family as well. Current study was designed to study the socio-economic and hygienic status of the women working in shrimp sector (employee) in South Western region in Bangladesh (N=150). The study also selected women who are not working in shrimp sector (non-employee) in the same community (N=75) to evaluate impacts of shrimp industry on women. In socio-economic background analysis of the women, medium household size (46% and 65.3%), primary education level (63.3% and 48%), married (79.3% and 97.3%), drinking tube-well water (93.3 % and 92%) and polli electric facility (77.3% and 84%) was dominant in both cases. Average monthly household income and expenditure was found better among the employees (9235 ± 4042 Tk and 765 5± 3032 Tk, respectively) than the non-employees (9068 ± 3113 Tk and 7208 ± 2147 Tk, respectively). In summary, the study observed and suggesting that life style and hygienic condition is better among the women engaged in shrimp sector than the nonemployee in the same community.&#x0D; Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.5(3): 391-397, December 2018

Deep tubewell microbial water quality and access in arsenic mitigation programs in rural Bangladesh

The objective of this paper is to determine whether deep tubewells installed through arsenic mitigation efforts in rural Bangladesh provide better drinking water microbial quality compared to shallow tubewells. We conducted a stratified random cross-sectional survey of 484 households to assess microbial contamination of deep tubewell water at source and at point of use (POU) compared to shallow tubewell water using the Compartment Bag Test. In addition, we measured storage time, distance, travel time and ownership status among both sets of users to assess deep tubewell efficacy and under what conditions they offer poorer or better water quality. Differences in tubewell characteristics were compared using non-parametric Mann-Whitney U tests and two-proportion Z-tests. Prevalence ratios of microbial contamination stratified by water quality, storage time and distance to tubewells and ownership were estimated using unadjusted Mantel-Haenszel tests. There was no significant difference in microbial contamination between shallow and deep tubewells at source. The presence of POU water microbial contamination in storage containers in deep tubewell households was 1.11 times the prevalence in shallow tubewell storage containers (95% CI = 0.97–1.27). Deep tubewell users stored water longer and walked significantly farther to obtain water compared to shallow tubewell users. Among deep tubewell households, those residing farther away from the source were 1.24 times as likely to drink contaminated water from storage containers compared to those located nearby (95% CI = 1.04–1.48). Our findings suggest that deep tubewells have comparable water quality to shallow tubewells at source, but increasing distance from the household exacerbates risk of microbial contamination at POU.

Arsenic contamination in groundwater in Bangladesh: implications and challenges for healthcare policy.

Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh has been recognized as a major public problem. The arsenic contamination was first identified in the tubewell water in 1993 in a northern district of Bangladesh. Tubewells are the main source of drinking water in rural areas, and except hilly and terrace upland throughout the Bangladesh, the arsenic-contaminated tube-wells are distributed. Fifty million people of Bangladesh were estimated to be at risk of exposure to arsenic through consumption of water from contaminated tubewells. Chronic exposure to arsenic causes arsenicosis and may include multi-organ pathologies. Many of the health effects of chronic toxicity are evident in Bangladesh. Besides dermatological manifestations, noncommunicable diseases including cancer, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and decreased intelligence quotient among the children are reported to be increasing. Cancer due to long-term low-dose arsenic exposure through consumption of contaminated water is now an important concern of Bangladesh as it is being increasingly reported from arsenic-exposed individuals. Stoppage of consumption of the arsenic-contaminated water is the mainstay of arsenicosis prevention and case management. At present, a higher proportion of the people are still consuming arsenic-contaminated water because of the lack of sustainable arsenic-safe water supply. In providing sustainable arsenic-safe water options, any option advocated should be cheap, easy to use, locally maintainable, and owned by the community. In addressing arsenic-related health issues, arsenic-exposed population needs to be brought under the coverage of the regular surveillance program for detection and subsequent management of noncommunicable diseases and cancers.

Geospatial and multivariate analysis of trace metals in tubewell water using for drinking purpose in the upper Gangetic basin, India: Heavy metal pollution index

Groundwater samples via tubewells were collected from the district Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh (India). The study aimed to analyse groundwater quality and potential sources of trace metal contamination using the multivariate statistical tool, and the level of contamination by applying contamination index (Cd) and heavy metal pollution index (HPI). The groundwater was found to be enriched with Fe and contaminated with the trace and toxic elements like Al, As, B, Cu, Mn and Pb having mean values of 2786, 152, 9, 1033, 107, 199 and 15 µL respectively. Arsenic exceeded the WHO (2011) guidelines and BIS (2012) standard (10 µg/L) for 30% of the groundwater samples. For B, 46% of the samples were found having concentration higher than BIS (2012) permissible limit (1000 µg/L) and 3% to WHO (2011) guideline values (2400 µL). Lead level exceeded the BIS (2012) standard value and WHO (2011) guideline value in 46% of the samples. Multivariate analysis identified three factors responsible for data composition explaining 81% of the total variance in groundwater samples. Factor analysis (PCA and CA) allowed grouping of parameters according to the common features; Fe, Mn and Pb were associated with PC1 and controlled by the mixed origin such as geogenic sources as well as anthropogenic activities. Boron and Cu (PC2) were controlled by anthropogenic activities while As (PC3) was derived from the geogenic sources. The northern part of study area has higher Pb and Mn concentration than the southern part associated with small industrial activities. Degree of contamination and heavy metal pollution index supported the results and higher contamination was found to be in the vicinity of industrial setups. The overall quality (estimated using HPI values) of groundwater in the northern area is poor, and may cause potential health risk from the analyzed tubewells to the local population if the water is consumed for longer time.

Understanding the Livelihood Characteristics of the Migratory and Non-Migratory Fishers of the Padma River, Bangladesh

The Padma is the second longest and one of the trans-boundary rivers of Bangladesh that significantly contributes to fisheries production and supports the fishers’ livelihoods. This study assesses the livelihood characteristics of the Padma river-dependent migratory and non-migratory fishers, employing household interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews from July to October, 2015. All migratory fishers were full-time fishers, whereas, non-migratory fishers included full time (88.89%), part-time and occasional fishers (11.11%). Maximum fishers were belonging to the age group of 31 to 50 years of which 94.74% were migratory and 57.4% were non-migratory fishers. Half of the migratory and non-migratory fishers were illiterate. 89.47% migratory fishers used river water for drinking and other purposes, whereas, 94.44% non-migratory fishers used tube-well water. Average annual incomes of both migratory (58%) and non-migratory (65%) fishers ranged from Tk. 30,000 to 60,000, whereas 26% migratory and 5% non-migratory fishers had average annual incomes above Tk. 60,000. The overall livelihood status of the migratory and non-migratory fishers was not satisfactory as they have faced problems like conflicts with elite groups for resources, lack of fish preservation facilities. Effective initiatives and their proper implementations are very crucial to develop the Padma river fisher’s livelihood conditions.