The world arsenic Catastrophe: Helping the Overwhelmed American Chemical Society Thursday March 30th 2006 Richard Wilson Mallinckrodt Research Professor of Physics Harvard University http://arsenic.ws http://phys4.harvard.edu/~wilson/arsenic_project_introduction.html

30,000,000 exposed in Bangladesh above US EPA standard A catastrophe that makes Chernobyl look small! others in: West Benglal Nepal Thailand Vietnam Pakistan How does the world help Bangladesh?

Three vital items (1) Make sure measurements of arsenic and coliform bacteria are regular and accurate (2) work with local community - they must make decisions and follow up and (3) get funds direct to villagers (avoid sticky fingers as much as possible)

My recommendation to the Government of Bangladesh Find out which (NGO) is doing a competent job (Discuss on web, conferences, WHO etc) Get money direct to them Even if not economically the “best” doing nothing is expensive especially in good will.

1998 (DCH conference) urged immediate action: (1) Measure every well Green for OK Red for don’t use Encourage well switching (2) Purify Water at House level with simple equipment (3) Encourage deep wells (below clay layer) (4) Encourage solutions that lead to the long term

Labelling wells was partially successful 30% of people switched wells but ~10 million people helped! 67% switched when a massive education campaign (Columbia-U.Dhaka) Some wells badly labeled Perhaps status of wells changed MY CONCLUSION BETTER EDUCATION CAMPAIGN NEEDED on switching

Uncritical use of Arsenic Removal Systems (ARS) May even be counterproductive.

AN OLD REMEDY So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. And when they came to Marah they could not drink of the waters of Marah for they were bitter. And they murmered against Moses saying “What shall we drink?” and he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters , the waters were made sweet” Exodus 15:22-5

Sengupta of Bengal College SONO filters near Kushtia In West Bengal several hundred have been installed. 80% are not functional. (6th report: Jadavpur University) BUT they seem to work when there is “backup” Sengupta of Bengal College SONO filters near Kushtia DCH tests have not been as good as hoped Also NOT a long term solution

Deep wells have worked in Dhaka for a long time Deep wells have worked in Dhaka for a long time! Badly installed wells could bring water down from upper aquifer. BUT 98% likely to work at least 20 years Maybe for ever.

Long shot: Professor Charles Harvey (MIT) thinks the problem is pumping water from anoxic region. Possible Solution: Pump concentrated oxidants into the well. Works for a week; tried with massive amounts of oxidants January 2006. We will see.

Bangladesh Policy Use surface water when possible Rainwater Collection Improved (sanitary) Dugwells Pond Sand Filters River Sand Filters We must avoid bacteria and know we have avoided bacteria Key is measurement Measurement Cheapest if a large number supplied from one unit

January 2000 If you ask villagers to put up with your measurements of water (Harvey) and epidemiological studies (Christiani) you have to do something for them So we gave DCH a $10,000 check for new water resources (about $60,000 by now) January 2001 we gave them a kit (University of Surrey) for measuring coliform bacteria Then we got Ashok Khosla (New Delhi) to send his (JAL-TARA) measuring kit which they used.

POND SAND FILTER for several hundred people Originally built in 2001-2 this was high in Coliform. It was rebuilt with more stages and by January 2004 low coliform were measured.

Dhaka Community Hospital (experts in community health) has been installing Sanitary surface “dugwells” where >80% tubewells contaminated WHO standards; Covered; Originally limed, (note that BRAC and Grameen Bank did not follow these standards) now chlorinated (every 3 months) (now) measured regularly More recently pumped to tank and pipeline to give running water VERY POPULAR Capital cost $6/person

66 seemed OK in Pabna region. (6 now abandoned) Checked, limed, tested every 3 months for a year. Low arsenic (LOD 3 ppb) 0-10 coliform 0 fecal coliform But questions were asked by Feroze and others 2005 tests on 10 wells looked bad. Maybe they ONLY tested just after liming. Now they claim chlorinating every 3 months OK (<10 fc structures/dl)

Jabed Yousuf (DCH) is now in charge of getting measurements and should have been here but DHS did not give him a visa

Importance of discussing with villagers U Dhaka questionnaire shows Why the long delay? Importance of discussing with villagers U Dhaka questionnaire shows People willing to pay 20 X as much for piped water as for arsenic free water Enables larger systems to supply more villagers (maintenance spread over more people) Piped water system leads naturally to central system in the long term

I suggest piped water is an imporatant option to suggest to people independent of where the water comes from

My recommendation to the Government of Bangladesh Find out which (NGO) is doing a competent job (Discuss on web, conferences, WHO etc) Get money direct to them Even if not economically the “best” doing nothing is expensive especially in good will.

The whole job can be done for ONLY $300 million The whole job can be done for ONLY $300 million! $1 each American World Bank provided a $50 million 1% loan that Jim Wolfensohn expected to be spent with 18 months and Kuwait Fund can help when asked by governments

Meanwhile please support the public foundation of your choice Dugwell Foundation http://www.dugwellfoundationusa.org (Meera Smith) Arsenic Foundation http://arsenicfoundation.com (Richard Wilson)