Paris: Researchers have pinpointed the
source of what is probably the worst mass poisoning in
history, according to a study published on Sunday.
For nearly three decades scientists have struggled to
figure out exactly how arsenic was getting into the drinking
water of millions of people in rural Bangladesh.
The culprit, says the new study, are tens of thousands of
man-made ponds excavated to provide soil for flood protection.
An estimated two million people in Bangladesh suffer from
arsenic poisoning, and health experts suspect the toxic,
metal-like element has caused and will continue to cause many
deaths as well.
Symptoms include violent stomach pains and vomiting,
diarrhoea, convulsions and cramps. A large dose can kill
outright, while chronic ingestion of small doses has been
linked to a large range of cancers.
It has long been known that the arsenic comes from water
drawn from millions of low-tech "tube wells" scattered across
the country.
Ironically the wells were dug often with the help of
international aid agencies to protect villages from unclean
and disease-ridden surface water.
Tragically, millions of people continue to knowingly
poison themselves for lack of an alternative source of water.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, November 15, 2009, 19:58