Appropriate Arsenic Mitigation Strategies for Rural … Arsenic Mitigation Strategies for Rural...

Appropriate Arsenic Mitigation Strategies for Rural Bihar

1

Ashok Ghosh

A.N.College, Patna

2

High arsenic release byMining Activity - Anthropogenic

High arsenic concentrationin groundwater - Geogenic

Arsenic – Global Distribution

Origin of arsenic crisis in Indian subcontinent [switching from surface water to underground water]

www.ancollege.org

East ChamparanSitamarhi Madhubani

SupaulAraria

Kishanganj

Purnia

Katihar

Darbhanga

Muzaffarpur

Sheohar

Saran

Siwan

Vaishali Samastipur Saharsa

Madhepura

Gopalganj

Bhojpur

RohtasKaimur

Buxar Patna

Jehanabad

GayaAurangabad

Nalanda

Nawada

Jamui

Banka

Munger

Lakhisarai

Sheikhpura

Begusarai

Bhagalpur

Khagaria

West Champaran

Arsenic Map of Bihar - 2002

1 Arsenic Affected District

www.ancollege.org

East ChamparanSitamarhi Madhubani

SupaulAraria

Kishanganj

Purnia

Katihar

Darbhanga

Muzaffarpur

Sheohar

Saran

Siwan

Vaishali Samastipur Saharsa

Madhepura

Gopalganj

Bhojpur

RohtasKaimur

Buxar Patna

Jehanabad

GayaAurangabad

Nalanda

Nawada

Jamui

Banka

Munger

Lakhisarai

Sheikhpura

Begusarai

Bhagalpur

Khagaria

West Champaran

Arsenic Map of Bihar -2004

2 Arsenic Affected Districts

www.ancollege.org

East ChamparanSitamarhi Madhubani

SupaulAraria

Kishanganj

Purnia

Katihar

Darbhanga

Muzaffarpur

Sheohar

Saran

Siwan

Vaishali Samastipur Saharsa

Madhepura

Gopalganj

Bhojpur

RohtasKaimur

Buxar Patna

Jehanabad

GayaAurangabad

Nalanda

Nawada

Jamui

Banka

Munger

Lakhisarai

Sheikhpura

Begusarai

Bhagalpur

Khagaria

West Champaran

Arsenic Map of Bihar -2005

4 Arsenic Affected Districts

www.ancollege.org

East ChamparanSitamarhi Madhubani

SupaulAraria

Kishanganj

Purnia

Katihar

Darbhanga

Muzaffarpur

Sheohar

Saran

Siwan

Vaishali Samastipur Saharsa

Madhepura

Gopalganj

Bhojpur

RohtasKaimur

Buxar Patna

Jehanabad

GayaAurangabad

Nalanda

Nawada

Jamui

Banka

Munger

Lakhisarai

Sheikhpura

Begusarai

Bhagalpur

Khagaria

West Champaran

Arsenic Map of Bihar -2007

12 Arsenic Affected Districts

www.ancollege.org

East ChamparanSitamarhi Madhubani

SupaulAraria

Kishanganj

Purnia

Katihar

Darbhanga

Muzaffarpur

Sheohar

Saran

Siwan

Vaishali Samastipur Saharsa

Madhepura

Gopalganj

Bhojpur

RohtasKaimur

Buxar Patna

Jehanabad

GayaAurangabad

Nalanda

Nawada

Jamui

Banka

Munger

Lakhisarai

Sheikhpura

Begusarai

Bhagalpur

Khagaria

West Champaran

Arsenic Map of Bihar -2009

16 Arsenic Affected Districts

East Champaran Sitamarhi Madhubani

Supaul Araria

Kishanganj

Purnia

Katihar

Darbhanga

Muzaffarpur

Sheohar

Saran

Siwan

Vaishali Samastipur Saharsa

Madhepura

Gopalganj

Bhojpur

Rohtas Kaimur

Buxar Patna

Jehanabad

Gaya Aurangabad

Nalanda

Nawada

Jamui

Banka

Munger

Lakhisarai

Sheikhpura

Begusarai

Bhagalpur

Khagaria

West Champaran

Arsenic Map of Bihar -2011

18 Arsenic Affected Districts

Gang

a

Kos

i

Ben

gal B

asin

NEPAL

Kosi Allu

vial Fan

Indian Craton

BIHAR - Play Ground of

Rivers

Arsenic in Bihar

Two highly contaminat

ed zones

Population Exposed to arsenic laced water in Bihar• Bihar shows a large spatial variability in

arsenic concentration in the upper 50 m

of Holocene fluvial sediments in the

Ganges channel belt.

• As per our database an estimated 24% of the population of Bihar is exposed directly or indirectly to arsenic-contaminated drinking and irrigation water.

BIHAR FINDINGS 36,680 hand pumps tested -35%

had arsenic contaminated water of >10 ppb.

Highest As. Value Recorded – 1861 ppb

A total of 18 Bihar districts (< 65 blocks) are affected by high level of arsenic in the groundwater

Trivalent arsenic 87 % in ground water of Bihar

Worst-affected districts are Bhojpur, Bhagalpur, Buxar, Patna, Vaishali, Khagaria and Samastipur.

Arsenic has entered food chain through irrigation water

Hand Pump with Arsenic Concentration of 1861 ppb

Bihar Findings………. Considerable differences exist in the hydro-geochemistry between

the different geologic/geomorphic terrains

Younger Alluviums (80%) and Himalayan Piedmonts (75%) have the most As contaminated groundwater

Pre-Cenozoic samples don’t have any As >5 µ g/L

Groundwater in all terrains are mostly Ca-HCO3 type

Pre-Cenozoic Metamorphic and Younger Alluviums have the highest concentrations of Ca and HCO3

Younger Alluviums are more influenced by carbonate dissolution than Silica weathering

Bihar Findings…..

Younger Alluviums and Himalyan Piedmonts have higher concentrations of redox-sensitive solutes (e.g As, Fe, Mn, NH4)

Fe(II) and As(III) are the predominant Fe and As species in all terrains

Younger Alluviums only show possible genetic relationship between Fe(II) and As(III)

The groundwater in all terrains are probably in equilibrium with surface water stable isotope chemistry

Arsenic in food chain

of BiharFood Chain

Maize:Total As - 0.24 ug As g-1

Rice - 0.36 ug As g-1

Irrigation Tube well =As 980 ppb

Arsenic Ingestion Routes

•Drinking Water

•Irrigation Water - Food Chain

•Burning Cowdung Cake

Consequences of arsenicosis (Health )

Health consequences

Dermatological

Respiratory

Gastrointestinal

Cardiovascular

Hepatic

Neurological

Haematological

Renal

Mutagenesis

Reproductive

Cancer

Mental health

www.ancollege.org

Ram Ashan Panday – Ex Army Man – Developed Symptoms after his Return to native village - Panday Tola,Bhojpur

Gift of home coming………Keratosis

Keratosis

www.ancollege.org

Diffuse and Spotted Keratosis on Palm

www.ancollege.org

Gift of home coming……

Kisan PandayEx army man developed symptoms after his return to native village,PandayTola,Bhojpur six years ago.

Keratosis

www.ancollege.org

Wife of Munna Panday [25 years oldwith 4 children] –Arsenicosis with low Blood Pressure – Panday Tola,Bhojpur,Bihar

Low Blood Pressure and Anemic

www.ancollege.org

Aunty of Munna Panday [45 years] – Panday Tola,Bhojpur,Bihar

And Anaemia – Panday Tola ,Bihar

Arsenicosis with Low BP

www.ancollege.org

Anuj Panday ofPanday Tola withearly symptom ofarsenicosis hasvery high BP and depression - due to uncertain future??

Hypertension – Depression

www.ancollege.org

Arsenic Patients – Bhaglpur- Kahalgaon

www.ancollege.org

Arsenic Patients – Khagaria

www.ancollege.org

Arsenic Patients – Bhaglpur- Pirpainti

Management of arsenicosis

Arsenic free safe water Dietary Supplement and anti-oxidant

fruits/vegetables/protein is important along with application of ointment (5 – 20% Urea and salicylic)

Complicated cases like skin cancer, ulcer, gangrene needs specialized medical and surgical management

Social, economic and physical rehabilitation. Mass community awareness and support to develop

community based rehabilitation system.

Arsenic Mitigation Options

Arsenic mitigation strategies and sustainability

Pond

Surface

•Pollution•Accessibility•Acceptability

Low

Rainwater harvesting

Rain

•Collection•Preservation

•Seasonal variability

Low

Dug well

Sub-surface

•Bacterial contamination•Acceptability

Better

Options

Water source

Problems

Feasibility

Arsenic mitigation strategies and ……………

Deep tube well

Deep aquifers

•Uncertain•Expensive

Better but…….

Piped water

Deep aquifers/treated Surface water

•Expensive•No infrastructure

Low

Arsenic removal filters

Arsenic contaminated water

•Effectiveness?•Expensive

•Environmentally problematic

Better

Options

Water source

Problems

Feasibility

Most of mitigation strategies have failed in Bihar

REDUNDENT RAINWATERHARVESTING UNIT

REDUNDENT RESTORED OPEN WELL

DEFUNCT OVERHEAD TANK TO TAPSAFE AQUIFER

Arsenic Removal community Filters - Defunct

www.ancollege.org

Ganga River Piped Water Scheme launched by GoB at Bhojpur

Rs.53 Crore GoB initiative in Bhojpur

• Ganga Water supply after treatment • Dependent on electric power , a scarce commodity in Bihar• Ganga is shifting from its current location as per our studies

All of afore-mentioned schemes, though well-conceived, could not be sustained The required structures for these mitigation schemes are being

constructed randomly, and are insufficient for the dense population.

Water quality monitoring units exist at Panchayat level, but there is a lack of follow-up action and lack of communication between the Panchayats. Hence the concept of a decentralised, demand driven water quality initiatives is being compromised.

Failure of the authorities to undertake monitoring and maintenance work in the post-construction phase has rendered the projects defunct.

District-level water quality monitoring laboratories are not well equipped.

All of afore-mentioned schemes………

There is a lack of awareness and sensitization to arsenic contamination, and lack of ownership among the largely illiterate population.

These factors have been the biggest contributory factors towards the absence of public participation in these government schemes.

Community mobilisation is the sole answer to proper implementation of these schemes, in which private ownership is to be promoted.

Sustainable arsenic mitigation technologies for rural population

[possible alternatives]

Possible alternative I: Gravity driven filter Gravity Driven Filter not

dependent on electricity Adsorbent based filter

developed by Aquapal,Sweden

Easy to maintain Easy to operate – 7

liters/hour Reduces arsenic from 600

ppb to > 10 ppb Low cost Household level water

supply

Possible alternative II: community-based wellhead arsenic removal unit – Adsorption based technology

Developed and Tested by Lehigh University, USA & A.N. College, Patna

A. N. College, Patna with the help of Lehigh University in Bethlehem has installed a community-based wellhead arsenic removal unit in a remote village of Bihar – Ramnagar, Maner

The unit is based on adsorption technology developed by Lehigh University, USA. The project has been funded by Tagore - Sen Gupta Foundation.

This unit is serving about 200 households of this village with approximately 7,000 litres of treated water produced per day, supplying nearly 1,000 villagers with arsenic-safe water.

This unit can provide water without requiring electricity or external addition of chemicals.

Possible alternative III -Arsenic remediation by decentralized Reverse Osmosis treatment

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Arsenic Remova l- Double RO system

98 % Arsenic Removal

98 % Iron Removal

Abbildung 7: Wasserversorgungssystem Bind Toli [5]

Arsenic reduction throughout the system, Bind Toli Iron reduction throughout the system, Bind Toli

Possible Alternative III- TRADITIONAL DUGWELLS

Courtesy : Vishwanath Srikantaiah

AQUIFER - 1 (unconfined) <50 feet

AQUIFER - 2 Arsenic Contaminated

AQUIFER - 3 Arsenic Free

Dugwell

Dug Well in arsenic free zone

TRADITIONAL DUGWELLS PROPERLY SANITIZED [Project Well Initiative]

The pvc pipe is shortened after

insertion

Interior of the dugwell

The delivery pipe is flexible for self adjustable

water level

Possible Alternative IV- Bore-dugwell & Borewell

Bore-dugwell pvc pipe length - 20ft Borewell pvc pipe length - 30ft dia

(both have 10 ft of filter/perforated pipe)

© 2011 Peer Water Exchange 46

The Peer Water Exchange Addresses This Challenge

UNRESOLVED ISSUES RELATING TO ARSENIC CONTAMINATED DRINKING

WATER SOURCES Research into Arsenic speciation, mobilization largely

fragmented and repetitive Almost entire investigation into the hydro-geological

aspects of arsenic contaminated aquifers have been confined to Bengal basin, the geological variations along the entire river basins warranting immediate attention.

Lack of knowledge and medical infrastructure relating to diagnosis and treatment of arsenicosis.

Lack of comprehensive database on arsenic contaminated aquifers and its implications

Lack of maintenance and monitoring of mitigation structures

Lack of Community Participation in arsenic mitigation

YES Water resource matters

because survival of this civilization matters !

THANKS