Arsenic Contamination: Water Assessment in Assam, India

“Cost-effective, user friendly technologies providing pure water are required to counter the serious health hazards due to consumption of As and/or Fe-contaminated water.”

Map of the Brahmaputra River Basin in India Source: IndiaNetzone

This water assessment research study done by Chetia, Chatterjee, Banerjee, Natah, Singh, Srivastava, and Sarma collected water samples from various regions of the Golaghat district in Assam, India. These samples were analyzed for arsenic, iron, manganese, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, pH, total hardness, and sulfate ions. Results reveal that heavy metals, like As, Fe, and Mn, are present in the water sources and some are present way past the allowed limit. The groundwater contamination reveals the utmost importance of providing safe water for the communities use. WEA, partnering with the Numi Tea Foundation, is undertaking an assessment to provide access to safe water and sanitation in Numi’s tea farming communities in Assam, India.