The world arsenic The world arsenic Catastrophe:Catastrophe:

What should we do?What should we do?Lecture at

University of British Columbia

7.00 pm, Monday October 24th 2005 comments by

Richard WilsonMallinckrodt Research Professor of Physics

Harvard University

http://arsenic.wshttp://phys4.harvard.edu/~wilson/arsenic_project_introduction.html

30,000,000 exposed in Bangladesh

above US EPA standard

A catastrophe that makes Chernobyl look like a Sunday School picnic!

others in: West Benglal

NepalThailandVietnamPakistan

How do we help Bangaldesh?

Three simultaneous actions

How does arsenic get there and can we predict avoidance measures?

Harvey, MIT, McArthur, UCL, van Geen Columbia, F.Ahmed, BUET

what does arsenic do?what are the risk factors? Diet (Betel nuts)?

Selenium?Graziani, Columbia, Christiani, Harvard,Smith

Berkeleya factor of 2 maybe

How can we help the people NOW?I will address the last

Three vital items

(1) Make sure measurements of arsenic and coliform bacteria are

regular and accurate

(2) work with local cummunity - they must make

decisions and follow up and

(3) get funds direct to villagers (avoid sticky fingers

as much as possible)

1998 (DCH conference)urged immediate action:

(1) Measure every wellGreen for OK

Red for dont useEncourage well switching

(2) Purify Water at House levelwith simple equipment

(3) Encourage deep wells (below clay layer)

(4) Encourage solutions that lead to the long term

Labelling wells was only partially successful

30% of people switched wells67% switched when a massive

education campaign (Columbia-U.Dhaka)

Some wells badly labeledPerhaps status of wells changed

Uncritical use of Arsenic Removal Systems (ARS)

has been a disaster.In West Bengal several

hundred have been installed. 80% are not functional.

(6th report: Jadavpur University)

John Macarthur (UCL) agrees.

DCH tests also give only small reduction

NOT a long term solution

Deep wells are probably fed from the Himalaya

further north. Badly installed wells

could bring water down from upper aquifer.

Again, measure and understand

Deep wells (below the clay layer) look very

goodIF they are grouted

probably and probably not in Jessore (no clay layer)

Cheapest solutionat minimum they should

work for 10-20 years

Professor Charles Harvey (MIT) thinks

the problem is pumping water from anoxic region.(Long shot)Possible Solution:

Pump concentrated oxidants into the well.

Works for a week; being tried with massive

amounts of oxidants early next year

Bangladesh Policy Use surface water when

possibleWe must avoid bacteria

and know we have avoided bacteria

Rainwater CollectionImproved (sanitary)

DugwellsPond Sand FiltersRiver Sand FiltersKey is measurement

Cheapest when a large number supplied from one unit

Dhaka Community Hospital has been installing

Sanitary surface “dugwells”Covered;

WHO standards; measured regularly

More recently pumped to tank and pipeline

to give running waterVERY POPULAR

Find out who knows what he is doing

(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.

Why is it taking so long?Where is the bottleneck?

Maybe the set up of village committees

If so, go at once to tank and pipeline even though a bit more

expensive

Villagers (especially women) like it

The whole job can be done for

ONLY $300 million!

30 cruise missiles!

Meanwhile please support the public foundation of

your choiceDugwell Foundation

http://www.dugwellfoundationusa.org

(Meera Smith)

Arsenic Foundationhttp://arsenicfoundation.com

(Richard Wilson)