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Raj Dip Lama

Raj Dip Lama
* Project Coordinator -
   WATO NEPAL
* GIP Project   Coordinator/ Investigator for Nepal
[Global Inventory Project]

  

Global Inventory Project - GIP
Identification of sites with high level of Arsenic contamination in Ground Water across Nepal


Sites Identified:

  • Badahawa VDC, Rautahat, Nepal (Arsenic in GW)

  • Banjariya VDC, Nawalparasi, Nepal (Arsenic in GW)

  • Basatpur VDC, Rautahat, Nepal (Arsenic in GW)

  • Hajminiya VDC, Rautahat, Nepal (Arsenic in GW)

  • Inarwari VDC, Rautahat, Nepal (Arsenic in GW)

  • Manari VDC, Nawalparasi, Nepal (Arsenic in GW)

  • Makar VDC, Nawalparasi

  • Ramgram Municipality, Nawalparasi, Nepal (Arsenic in GW)

  • Ramnagar VDC, Nawalparasi

  • Rupauliya VDC, Nawalparasi, Nepal

  • Samanpur VDC, Rautahat, Nepal (Arsenic in GW)

  • Sarawal VDC, Nawalparasi

  • Sunwal VDC, Nawalparasi, Nepal (Arsenic in GW)

  • Swathi VDC, Nawalparasi, Nepal

  • Tejapakad VDC, Rautahat, Nepal (Arsenic in GW)

What is Arsenic?

 

Arsenic is a naturally occurring mineral found in soil, bedrock, and water.  In its pure form, arsenic is a silver-gray or white brittle metal.

Arsenic is known to cause cancer, as well as many other serious health problems.
Ground water in many parts of Nepal, especially in the low-land Terai region, are found to be severely contaminated by this slow poison - Arsenic

Health Impact

  
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The identified sites are the most affected district in Nepal by the Arsenic contamination in ground water, where the samples have Arsenic concentration more than India and Bangladesh.

The source of drinking water in these area is ground water; tube well and dug well.

As there is no other source of drinking water, people in these places are drinking highly toxic Arsenic contaminated water, every day, for last 10/15 years.

With high level of Arsenic contamination in ground water, these site possess serious threats on human health and soil (cultivated food, crops and vegetables).


And, there is an immediate need to provide access to clean and safe drining water in these villages

The diseases caused by arsenic is Arsenicosis. It can further cause cancer, gangrened and ulcer. If exposed for a longer time, it can lead to a very painful death.

The most common types of cancer are:

  • *skin cancer

  • *angiosarcoma of the liver

  • *prostate cancer

  • *and bladder cancer

Other types of cancer are:


  • *leukemia

  • *other hematopoietic cancers

  • *cancer of breast, colon, stomach, parotid gland, nasopharynx,

  • larynx, bucal cavity, kidney etc

Dermal:


Initially, chronic exposure to arsenic causes skin changes such as hyperpigmentation and keratosis.


(Hyperpigmentation is an alteration in color resulting in spots on the skin , and Keratosis is a hardening of skin bulges, usually found in palms and soles).



Vascular Effects:


Exposure to arsenic has been linked to various vascular diseases affecting both the large (cardio-vascular) and small blood vessels (peripheral vascular).


Black foot disease (BFD) in parts of Taiwan is an example of peripheral vascular disease. BFD is characterized by coldness and numbness in the feet, followed by the ulceration, black discoloration and subsequently dry gangrene of the affected parts. In addition many of the BFD-patients have shown significantly higher death rate from cardio-vascular problems.