Arsenic Creates Social Crisis in Bangladesh
Arsenic catastrophe in Bangladesh:
As a single country Bangladesh has experienced the largest arsenic catastrophe in human history- 61 out of 64 districts in Bangladesh are arsenic contaminated. About 35 million inhabitants in Bangladesh are at risk of drinking arsenic contaminated water exceeding 0.05 mg/L.
Drinking arsenic-contaminated water for a long time is toxic and develops arsenicosis disease affecting cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, gastrointestinal, neurological and reproductive systems of human body. The most common manifestations among arsenicosis patients are skin lesions.
Besides its toxicity, groundwater arsenic contamination creates widespread social problems like social hazards, poverty, social instability, superstition, ostracism, and marriage related problems for its victims and their families in Bangladesh. It is also associated with poor mental health and developmental disabilities.
