High Arsenic Concentration in Blood Samples of People of Village Gyaspur Mahaji, Patna, Bihar Drinking Arsenic-Contaminated Water

Abstract

Arsenic contamination in ground water is a serious and widespread global public health problem. It is estimated that more than 300 millions of population worldwide while about 180 million people in the Ganga–Meghna–Brahmaputra plains are exposed to arsenic poisoning. Out of 38 districts of Bihar, 18 are highly affected with ground water arsenic poisoning. A flood plain village of river Ganga Gyaspur Mahaji in Patna district was undertaken in the present study. The study deals with the survey of the entire village households with ground water arsenic quantification with special attention to know the health status of the arsenic-exposed population. The study revealed high arsenic concentration in the ground water of the village. The general health status of the village population was very poor as the subjects were exhibiting typical arsenicosis symptoms. Apart from this, they also had gastrointestinal problems, constipation, anaemia, loss of appetite, breathlessness, mental disability, etc. There were also reports of two cancer incidences from the village: one subject with squamous cell carcinoma of skin and the other with medullary breast cancer along with arsenicosis symptoms. The village population are getting infected and hence are at very high risk and may be impacted if they continue to drink arsenic-contaminated water in the future. Therefore, a proper strategy is urgently required for arsenic mitigation in this arsenic-exposed village through supply of safe drinking water. © 2019, Springer Nature B.V.