The Bangladesh Observer
 
May 23, 2004
 
Editorial
 
Arsenic Contaminated Water And Children’s IQ
As we have said on more than one occasion, arsenic-contamination of groundwater is 
the greatest challenge to face Bangladesh. According to the British Geological Survey, 
approximately 30 - 40 million people in Bangladesh have been chronically exposed to high 
concentrations of this naturally occurring substance in the water supplied by approximately
 10 million tube wells.  But in addition to the elevated concentrations of arsenic in the 
groundwater, many of the tubewells also have manganese concentrations that exceed the World
 Health Organisation (WHO) standard.  Occupational manganese exposure has been associated 
with neurologic sequelae in adults, specifically Parkinsonism.

The fact that arsenic has neurologic consequences in adults is known and has been for some 
time but what has not been revealed until now is the fact that children exposed to arsenic 
in the drinking water have reduced intellectual function.  Scientists are now examining 
the consequences of exposure to arsenic on children’s health as part of a larger ongoing 
multi-disciplinary study by health, earth and social scientists working collaboratively 
in Araihazar. The reduced intellectual function in children presents a picture to us that 
is by no means pleasing and matches what we already know about adults so exposed such as 
its adverse impact on a range of cognitive functions, including learning, memory and 
concentration, as well as peripheral and central neuropathies is documented in clinical 
and industrial reports. 

This survey in the region of Araihazar revealed that 75% of the 6,000 contiguous wells 
covered in the study exceed the WHO standard for arsenic of 10 mg/L, while 53% exceed 
the Bangladesh standard of 50 mg/L.   As nowhere else in the world is contamination from 
arsenic as widespread as in Bangladesh this country is a happy hunting ground for 
researchers which helps out understanding of the calamity that has befallen us but does 
little to help us find a permanent solution.

If as reported, exposure to arsenic has affected our children’s IQ, this is a very 
serious matter as it is the consequence of allowing people to continue to drink the 
contaminated water. The obvious need was to provide alternative reliable sources of 
water but this aspect was ignored. But the biggest tragedy about this public health 
problem is that the affect of arsenic on the body is not understood by the people and 
is easily brushed aside despite the warnings.  But arsenic poisoning left untreated 
will result in a slow painful death as continued use of contaminated water for drinking 
spreads the toxic element with known after-effects. 

One basic problem we are yet to overcome is that tubewell water is still believed by 
many to be safe to drink. As a result of this dependence on groundwater is growing and 
public and private water supplies are dependent on it.  How to convince people of the 
danger in continuing to drink groundwater, albeit a colossal task after telling them it 
was safe, should now be top priority because if adults and children continue to drink 
contaminated water, not only will the intellectual growth of children be hampered but 
our development efforts will also have to take a back seat.