Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater: A Review of Sources, Prevalence, Health Risks, and Strategies for Mitigation

Arsenic contamination of groundwater in different parts of the world is an outcome of natural and/or anthropogenic sources, leading to adverse effects on human health and ecosystem. Millions of people from different countries are heavily dependent on groundwater containing elevated level of As for d...

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Main Authors: Shiv Shankar, Uma Shanker, Shikha
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014-01-01
Series:The Scientific World Journal
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/304524
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author Shiv Shankar
Uma Shanker
Shikha
author_facet Shiv Shankar
Uma Shanker
Shikha
author_sort Shiv Shankar
collection DOAJ
description Arsenic contamination of groundwater in different parts of the world is an outcome of natural and/or anthropogenic sources, leading to adverse effects on human health and ecosystem. Millions of people from different countries are heavily dependent on groundwater containing elevated level of As for drinking purposes. As contamination of groundwater, poses a serious risk to human health. Excessive and prolonged exposure of inorganic As with drinking water is causing arsenicosis, a deteriorating and disabling disease characterized by skin lesions and pigmentation of the skin, patches on palm of the hands and soles of the feet. Arsenic poisoning culminates into potentially fatal diseases like skin and internal cancers. This paper reviews sources, speciation, and mobility of As and global overview of groundwater As contamination. The paper also critically reviews the As led human health risks, its uptake, metabolism, and toxicity mechanisms. The paper provides an overview of the state-of-the-art knowledge on the alternative As free drinking water and various technologies (oxidation, coagulation flocculation, adsorption, and microbial) for mitigation of the problem of As contamination of groundwater.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2356-6140
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language English
publishDate 2014-01-01
publisher Wiley
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series The Scientific World Journal
spelling doaj-art-426760d49ec748ffb8bb4e78dface0372025-02-03T01:31:45ZengWileyThe Scientific World Journal2356-61401537-744X2014-01-01201410.1155/2014/304524304524Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater: A Review of Sources, Prevalence, Health Risks, and Strategies for MitigationShiv Shankar0Uma Shanker1Shikha2Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow 226025, IndiaDepartment of Chemistry, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, Punjab 144011, IndiaBabasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow 226025, IndiaArsenic contamination of groundwater in different parts of the world is an outcome of natural and/or anthropogenic sources, leading to adverse effects on human health and ecosystem. Millions of people from different countries are heavily dependent on groundwater containing elevated level of As for drinking purposes. As contamination of groundwater, poses a serious risk to human health. Excessive and prolonged exposure of inorganic As with drinking water is causing arsenicosis, a deteriorating and disabling disease characterized by skin lesions and pigmentation of the skin, patches on palm of the hands and soles of the feet. Arsenic poisoning culminates into potentially fatal diseases like skin and internal cancers. This paper reviews sources, speciation, and mobility of As and global overview of groundwater As contamination. The paper also critically reviews the As led human health risks, its uptake, metabolism, and toxicity mechanisms. The paper provides an overview of the state-of-the-art knowledge on the alternative As free drinking water and various technologies (oxidation, coagulation flocculation, adsorption, and microbial) for mitigation of the problem of As contamination of groundwater.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/304524
spellingShingle Shiv Shankar
Uma Shanker
Shikha
Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater: A Review of Sources, Prevalence, Health Risks, and Strategies for Mitigation
The Scientific World Journal
title Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater: A Review of Sources, Prevalence, Health Risks, and Strategies for Mitigation
title_full Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater: A Review of Sources, Prevalence, Health Risks, and Strategies for Mitigation
title_fullStr Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater: A Review of Sources, Prevalence, Health Risks, and Strategies for Mitigation
title_full_unstemmed Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater: A Review of Sources, Prevalence, Health Risks, and Strategies for Mitigation
title_short Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater: A Review of Sources, Prevalence, Health Risks, and Strategies for Mitigation
title_sort arsenic contamination of groundwater a review of sources prevalence health risks and strategies for mitigation
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/304524
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AT shikha arseniccontaminationofgroundwaterareviewofsourcesprevalencehealthrisksandstrategiesformitigation