80m people facing risks of arsenic contamination:Daily Sun

 Around 80 million people are under the threat of arsenic contamination as arsenic-borne diseases are spreading alarmingly, a study said recently. The report says that arsenic-borne disease is a silent killer which is spreading fast with the passage of time. Sixty-two districts are being affected with this arsenic. The public health-experts in the country are highly worried over arsenic as it caus
es many diseases into human body by taking the contaminated water. Dr Abdullah Hel Baki, a noted public health expert, said that arsenic which affects human body slowly causes various health hazards, including skin problems such as colour changes, hard patches on the palms and the feet. Besides, it causes skin cancer, cancers of bladder, kidney and lung, and diseases of blood vessels of legs and feet, diabetes, high blood-pressure and reproductive disorders, he added. He pointed out that a prolonged intake of arsenic-contaminated water causes skin pigmentation (Melanosis), skin ailments and painful lesions (Keratosis and Hyper Kertosis) which lead to liver and kidney diseases, cardio-vascular diseases, diabetes, gangrene, multiple cancers and peripheral diseases. “Many people of those areas have been taking this arsenic-contaminated water knowing and unknowingly for a long time which has led them to various diseases. Many of them experience many side-effects of many diseases for taking the water,” he pointed out. Dr Tanvir Ahmed said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a comprehensive study on arsenic contamination has concluded that permissible limit of arsenic in drinking water is 0.05mg/1 but now this prevalence rate around Bangladesh of arsenic in both drinking, cooking and irrigation is about 60mg/1. “Male, female and children are consciously and unconsciously, taking this poison through drinking and cooking,” he added. So, he urged the government to take pragmatic measure to bring down the burden of the diseases which is being occurred due to intake of arsenic. Responding to this issue, Dr Benezir Ahmed, director disease control of the Directorate of Health Services under the Health Ministry, said the arsenic contamination of groundwater had widely been reported in Bangladesh since 1993. “And in 1994 the then government constituted three national committees to control and mitigate the arsenic pollution,” he added. More steps have been taken for the prevention of such diseases, he said.