Arsenic calamity in the Indian subcontinent What lessons have been learned?

Groundwater arsenic (As) contamination in West Bengal (WB, India) was first reported in December 1983, when 63 people from three villages of two districts were identified by health officials as suffering from As toxicity. As of October 2001, the authors from the School of Environmental Studies (SOES) have analyzed >105 000 water samples, >25 000 urine/hair/nail/skin-scale samples, screened approximately 86 000 people in WB. The results show that more than 6 million people in 2700 villages from nine affected districts (total population approximately 42 million) of 18 total districts are drinking water containing >/=50 mug l(-1) As and >300 000 people may have visible arsenical skin lesions. The As content of the physiological samples indicates that many more may be sub-clinically affected. Children in As-affected villages may be in special danger. In 1995, we had found three villages in two districts of Bangladesh where groundwater contained >/=50 mug l(-1) As. The present situation is that in 2000 villages in 50 out of total 64 districts of Bangladesh, groundwater contains As above 50 mug l(-1) and more than 25 million people are drinking water above >/=50 mug l(-1) As. After years of research in WB and Bangladesh, additional affected villages are being identified on virtually every new survey. The present research may still reflect only the tip of iceberg in identifying the extent of As contamination. Although the WB As problem became public almost 20 years ago, there are still few concrete plans, much less achievements, to solve the problem. Villagers are probably in worse condition than 20 years ago. Even now, many who are drinking As-contaminated water are not even aware of that fact and its consequences. 20 years ago when the WB government was first informed, it was a casual matter, without the realization of the magnitude this problem was to assume. At least up to 1994, one committee after another was formed but no solution was forthcoming. None of the expert reports has suggested solutions that involve awareness campaigns, education of the villagers and participation of the people. Initially, international aid agencies working in the subcontinent simply did not consider that As could be present in groundwater. Even now, while As in drinking water is being highlighted, there have been almost no studies on how additional As is introduced through the food chain, as large amounts of As are present in the agricultural irrigation water. Past mistakes, notably the ceaseless exploitation of groundwater for irrigation, continue unabated today; at this time, more groundwater is being withdrawn than ever before. No efforts have been made to adopt effective watershed management to harness the extensive surface water and rainwater resources of this region. Proper watershed management and participation by villagers are needed for the proper utilization of water resources and to combat the As calamity. As in groundwater may just be nature's initial warning about more dangerous toxins yet to come. What lessons have we really learned?     

Arsenic content of hair and bones in the case of the suspected poisoning of R. Brun,first mayor of the city of Zurich

On the occasion of the 1970 opening of the grave of R. Brun, which is suspected to have been poisoned in 1360, samples of hair, bones and soil were taken and analysed for arsenic by neutron activation. Whereas the arsenic content of the hair was normal (0.2 to 0.3 ppm), the bones gave results of approximately 2 ppm, which is far above the value expected for healthy people (approximately 0.1 ppm). However, bones from the same grave (but not belonging to the suspected victim showed similar high values. These high values are thought to be due to an arsenic uptake from the soil and the evidence for an arsenic poisoning is under these circumstances rejected.     

云南阳宗海砷污染水平、变化趋势及风险评估

云南阳宗海砷污染事件引起社会广泛关注.为了解事件发生后阳宗海砷污染水平及变化趋势,分别于2008年12月、2009年2月、5月及9月四次采样,研究了阳宗海湖水、底泥、周边井水、土壤、农作物及水生生物中的砷含量及其变化趋势.研究结果显示:湖水平均砷浓度分别为176.9、147.3、159.3和161.1μg/L(算术平均),底泥平均浓度分别为32.87、62.41、62.99和46.96μg/g(算术平均).阳宗海湖水砷浓度经历了先升后降再到平稳的变化过程,底泥砷含量迅速升高后缓慢下降,湖水和底泥间砷交换还在进行.阳宗海附近土壤中砷最高浓度为23.33μg/g,未超过国家土壤环境质量三级标准.大米、玉米、花椰菜、小油菜等农作物可食用部分中砷的最高值为0.35μg/g,均未超过国家无公害食品标准.水生植物中砷水平大多在100～200μg/g之间,最高为苦草,砷含量超过300μg/g,说明该植物对砷有一定的富集能力.虾、鱼类等可食用水生动物砷浓度范围为1.52～11.4μg/g.     

Were Chinchorros exposed to arsenic? Arsenic determination in Chinchorro mummies' hair by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)

Chinchorros, a fishermen culture, who lived about 7000 years ago in the coastal region of the Atacama Desert in the northern outpost of present-day Chile, practiced an intricate system of mummification of their dead. The drinking water in this region is rich with arsenic, and the mummies were found in these arsenic endemic areas. Well preserved mummy hair samples provided a unique opportunity to explore the ancient arsenic exposure of the Chinchorros by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) using a single hair strand without any elaborate sample preparation. Forty-six hair samples from mummies found in five burial sites around the Atacama Desert, Chile, were used for this study. After cleaning, hair strands were placed on mounting tape and ablated using a Nd-YAG UV laser coupled to ICP-MS. A suite of contemporary human hair from the same region with known arsenic concentrations was used for calibration of LA-ICP-MS. Satisfactory linear calibration functions were obtained for arsenic in hair. The method detection limit was 0.8 µg/g and the sample throughput for this method is ∼ 10 samples per hour. It appears that mummies from the Morro (Arica), Iquique and Camarones had the elevated concentration of arsenic in hair (AsH > 10 µg/g) in this sub-set of samples, where Morro had the broad distribution of As concentrations.     

Metal and non-metal micro-pollutants in cultivated soils of Lecce and Brindisi districts (Apulia, southern Italy)

To estimate the presence of metal and non-metal micro-pollutants in the soils of the Lecce and Brindisi districts, an analytical study has been carried out on samples of surface soils taken from agricultural areas. The research has concerned the determination of the following micro-pollutants: Cu, Ni, Cr, Zn, Pb, Be, Cd, As, Hg, Sb e Tl. Statistical techniques, such as Principal Component Analysis and Clustering Analysis, have been utilised to examine the correlations among the different parameters and to define contamination areas. The results show that the amount of micro-pollutants in the superficial stratum of the examined soils is in the range permitted by the regulations in force, with the exception of arsenic and thallium. Arsenic concentrations are near to the maximum admissible value, while thallium concentrations are in 56% of the samples higher than the admissible value both in the soil and underground. The most significant parameter from a toxicological point of view is thallium, which has its maximum concentration in the soils located near the industrial area of Brindisi.     

Determination of Trace Amount of Mercury in Human Hair by Neutron Activation Analysis

Trace amount of mercury in human hair has been determined by destructive neutron activation analysis. It was found that the contents of mercury in the hair of normal people in Taiwan area is the order of 6 ppm. It is of interest to point out that very little fluctuation is observed in the contents of mercury in human hair regardless of sex and age of the normal people under investigation. On the other hand for those people who are working in the caustic soda manufacturing plant in which mercury is used as cathode in the electrolysis process of saline water, the mercury contents in their hair are definitely much higher (ca. 30 times) than the average values of normal people.     

微量元素砷与胃癌关系的研究

从福建省胃癌高(长乐市)、低发区(福安市)的土壤、水体及人体血清、头发、尿液采集的材料入手,分析了砷元素与恶性肿瘤关系。结果表明,胃癌低发区土壤、饮用水和人头发砷含量反比高发区高。可见在正常情况下砷不致癌,适量砷可抑制癌症。     

Environmental Implications of Heavy Metals in Soil from Huainan,China

Soil metal contamination is of great concern due to these elements’ bioavailability, toxicity, and persistence. A total of forty soil samples were collected from mining, industrial, agricultural, and residential areas. Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) was employed to determine the concentrations of the heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn). Geoaccumulation indices and health risk assessment models were employed to evaluate the potential ecological and health implications. The concentrations of As, Cr, and Zn in the industrial zone were higher than the values from the other areas, whereas the concentrations of Cd, Cu, and Pb were highest in the residential area. The distribution of metals may be attributed to different anthropogenic sources. The soils in the industrial area were moderately contaminated by As. The noncarcinogenic risk due to metals was determined to be negligible in these areas, while a high carcinogenic risk was obtained in the industrial area. The priority controls should be As, Cd, and Cr in the industrial area. However, the ecological, environmental, and health implications in the mining and residential areas should also be monitored. This study provides a comprehensive investigation of soil metals in industrial, mining, residential, and agricultural areas in China that may be employed for future environmental management and regularization.     

Arsenic determination in soils and hair from schools in past mining activity areas in Ron Phibun district,Nakhon Si Thammarat province,Thailand and relationship between soil and hair arsenic

Arsenic (As) in soils and hair collected from schools in Ron Phibun district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand, where former tin mining operation were located, was determined by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The relationship between As content in soils and hair with distance from secured landfill was also investigated. Soil and hair samples were collected from 6 schools in summer (February) and rainy season (July). For soils, silt+clay (<45 µm) fraction and sand (45 µm–2 mm) fraction were analyzed. The average concentrations of arsenic in soils during summer (21.70 ± 16.79 mg/kg) and rainy season (22.45 ± 14.17 mg/kg) were at the same concentration level. The average arsenic content in hair samples was 2.24 ± 0.05 mg/kg in rainy season which was higher than 1.05 ± 0.04 mg/kg in summer. It was found that arsenic contents in hair and soils are correlated with the distance from the secured landfill. Most importantly, a positive relationship between arsenic content in hair and soil was obtained for rainy season, which indicated that arsenic in soil corresponded to arsenic in hair. The cancer risk from soils ranged from 4.48 × 10^?7 to 2.06 × 10^?6 indicating low carcinogenic risk to school children.     

Comparison of extraction procedures for arsenic speciation in environmental solid reference materials by high‐performance liquid chromatography–hydride generation‐atomic fluorescence spectroscopy

Water and ‘soft’ extractions (hydroxylammonium hydrochloride, ammonium oxalate and orthophosphoric acid) have been studied and applied to the determination of arsenic species (arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA)) in three environmental solid reference materials (river sediment, agricultural soil, sewage sludge) certified for their total arsenic content. The analytical method used was ion exchange liquid chromatography coupled on‐line to atomic fluorescence spectroscopy through hydride generation. Very low detection limits for arsenic were obtained, ranging from 0.02 to 0.04 mg kg^?1 for all species in all matrices studied. Orthophosphoric acid is the best extractant for sediment (mixed origin) and sludge samples (recent origin) but not for the old formation soil sample, from which arsenic is extracted well only by oxalate. Both inorganic forms (As(III) and As(V)) are significant in all samples, As(V) species being predominant. Moreover, organic forms are found in water extracts of all samples and are more important in the sludge sample. These organic forms are also present in the ‘soft’ extracts of sludge. Microwave‐assisted extraction appears to minimize the risk of a redox interconversion of inorganic arsenic forms. This study points out the necessity of combining direct and sequential extraction procedures to allow for initial arsenic speciation and to elucidate the different mineralogical phases–species associations. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Arsenic in drinking water and in scalp hair by EDXRF: A major recent health hazard in Bangladesh

Arsenic content in drinking water and in scalp hair of the arsenic affected areas in Bangladesh were measured using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) to determine the contribution of drinking water to body burden and health risks. Around 61% of the water analyzed from tube-wells has arsenic content above 0.05 mg/l and about 13% have arsenic content above 0.01 mg/l. The mean concentration of arsenic in contaminated water is about 0.26 mg/l with the maximum level of 0.83 mg/l. The contaminated water thus contributes a significant amount to the arsenic budget in humans in Bangladesh and consequently, to their health hazards. The average concentration of arsenic in hair of a patient group drinking contaminated water is 14.1 mg/kg where the normal levels are <3.0 mg/kg. The distribution of arsenic in water and in hair is compared and discussed with the data reported in the literature. The daily dietary intake value of arsenic by the adult population in Bangladesh is estimated and assessed signifying health effects.     

Identification and correction of spectral contamination in 2H/1H and 18O/16O measured in leaf, stem, and soil water

Plant water extracts typically contain organic materials that may cause spectral interference when using isotope ratio infrared spectroscopy (IRIS), resulting in errors in the measured isotope ratios. Manufacturers of IRIS instruments have developed post-processing software to identify the degree of contamination in water samples, and potentially correct the isotope ratios of water with known contaminants. Here, the correction method proposed by an IRIS manufacturer, Los Gatos Research, Inc., was employed and the results were compared with those obtained from isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). Deionized water was spiked with methanol and ethanol to create correction curves for δ(18)O and δ(2)H. The contamination effects of different sample types (leaf, stem, soil) and different species from agricultural fields, grasslands, and forests were compared. The average corrections in leaf samples ranged from 0.35 to 15.73‰ for δ(2)H and 0.28 to 9.27‰ for δ(18)O. The average corrections in stem samples ranged from 1.17 to 13.70‰ for δ(2)H and 0.47 to 7.97‰ for δ(18)O. There was no contamination observed in soil water. Cleaning plant samples with activated charcoal had minimal effects on the degree of spectral contamination, reducing the corrections, by on average, 0.44‰ for δ(2)H and 0.25‰ for δ(18)O. The correction method eliminated the discrepancies between IRMS and IRIS for δ(18)O, and greatly reduced the discrepancies for δ(2)H. The mean differences in isotope ratios between IRMS and the corrected IRIS method were 0.18‰ for δ(18)O, and -3.39‰ for δ(2)H. The inability to create an ethanol correction curve for δ(2)H probably caused the larger discrepancies. We conclude that ethanol and methanol are the primary compounds causing interference in IRIS analyzers, and that each individual analyzer will probably require customized correction curves.     

Levels, trends and risk assessment of arsenic pollution in Yangzonghai Lake, Yunnan Province, China

The arsenic contamination accident in Yangzonghai Lake, Yunnan has been of wide concern. In order to investigate the arsenic distribution and concentration trends after the accident, samples including lake water, sediments, soil, aquatic organisms and crops were collected in November 2008, as well as in February, May and September 2009. The average arsenic concentrations (arithmetic average) in lake water in the four sampling events were 176.9, 147.3, 159.3, and 161.1 μg/L, while those in the sediments were 32.87, 62.41, 62.99, and 46.96 μg/g, respectively. The highest content of total arsenic in soil in the vicinity of Yangzonghai was 23.33 μg/g, which was below the limits of the relevant national standard. The total arsenic levels in most aquatic plants were in the range of 100–200 μg/g, with Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara having the highest concentration of ～300 μg/g. The arsenic levels of fish and shrimps were in the range of 1.52–11.4 μg/g (dry weight).     

Speciation of arsenic in water,sediment, and plants of the Moira watershed,Canada, using HPLC coupled to high resolution ICP-MS

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with high-resolution sector field ICP-MS was applied to the speciation of arsenic in environmental samples collected from the Moira watershed, Ontario, Canada. Arsenic contamination in Moira River and Moira Lake from historic gold mine operations is of increasing environmental concern to the local community. In this study, the current arsenic contamination status in water, sediment, and plants was investigated. Elevated levels of arsenic in the surface water of up to 75 ng mL(-1) in Moira River and 50 ng mL(-1) in Moira Lake were detected, 98% of which was present as arsenate. High concentrations of arsenic (>300 ng mL(-1)), mainly present as arsenite, were detected in sediment porewaters. A sediment profile of As from the West basin of Moira Lake showed lower As concentrations compared with data from the 1990s. An optimized extraction procedure using a phosphoric acid-ascorbic acid mixture demonstrated that an unknown "As-complex" which may consist of As, sulfide and organic matter is potentially responsible for the release of arsenite from the sediment to the overlying water column. Arsenic concentrations in plant samples ranged from 2.6 to 117 mg kg(-1), dry weight. Accumulation of arsenic was observed in submerged plants collected from Moira River and Moira Lake. Only a small part of the arsenic (6.3-16.1%) in the plants was extractable with methanol-water (9:1), and most of this arsenic (70-93%) was inorganic arsenic. A variety of organic arsenic compounds, including simple methylated compounds (methylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid), trimethylarsine oxide, and tetramethylarsonium cation were detected at trace levels. No arsenobetaine and arsenocholine was found in any plant sample. An unknown compound, most probably an arsenosugar was detected in the two submerged plants, coontail ( Ceratophyllum demersum) and long-stemmed waterwort ( Elatine triandra). These submerged plants are constantly exposed to high arsenic concentrations in the surrounding water. Apparently, they are able to grow in this environment without invoking the same biochemical defence known from marine algae to detoxify inorganic arsenic. The detoxification mechanism of these plants remains unknown.     

高效液相色谱-等离子质谱联用分析食品中的主要有机砷和无机砷

应用液相色谱-等离子质谱联用的方法分析食品样品中的主要有机砷(一甲基砷和二甲基砷)和无机砷(三价砷和五价砷)。 采用50%(体积分数)甲醇水溶液作为萃取剂,将食品样品进行预处理,再以5 mmol/L四丁氢铵,2 mmol/L丙二酸和5%(体积分数)甲醇水溶液作为流动相(pH 5.9),C18色谱柱(150 mm×4 mm i.d., 5 μm)将样品萃取液进行液相色谱分离,最后进入等离子质谱仪定性分析。 经测定发现,新鲜蔬菜和水果样品中主要含有的无机砷为三价砷和五价砷,有机砷为二甲基砷。一甲基砷在个别样品     

Indication of environmental pollution by means of INAA of the hair of some free living mammals

Hair samples collected from free living mammals common hare (Lepus europaeus Pall.), common vole (Microtus arvallis Pall.) and wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus L.) have been subjected to instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). up to 18 elements As, Au, Br, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, La, Na, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Th and Zn have been determined in each hair sample. Animal hair samples from areas polluted by thermal power plants burning coal were taken and compared with hair samples from the animals living in relatively non-polluted control areas. The results show that animal hair samples from areas with higher level of pollution contain usually higher concentrations of toxic and essential elements as As, Co, Cr, Fe and Se. Muride rodents can be used for more detailed monitoring of environmental exposure than hare. Moreover, hair of common vole shows usually higher levels of contamination as compared with wood mouse, which could be explained by different compositions of feed. Animal hair has been shown to be a rather sensitive indicator of environmental exposure and INAA has proved to be a suitable analytical tool for this purpose.     

Radioactive contamination of food sampled in the areas of the USSR affected by the Chernobyl disaster.

In October 1990 a Netherlands humanitarian fact finding mission on aid to people affected by the Chernobyl disaster visited contaminated regions in Russia, Byelorussia and the Ukraine. The mission consisted of medical, socio-psychological and agricultural experts. The results of radioactivity measurements on food products sampled in the contaminated areas are reported here and the radiation burden for the Soviet citizens due to these products is discussed. The radiocaesium contamination measured in 19 food products ranged between 0 and 170 Bq kg-1 and 40K from 25 to 200 Bq kg-1 in the fresh product. Strontium-90, measured in a few samples, was found to be between 1.8 and 30 Bq kg-1. Mushrooms and reindeer moss were very highly contaminated: from 103,000 to 284,000 Bq kg-1 of radiocaesium in the fresh product. Strontium-90 in these samples was 7.8-1550 Bq kg-1. The contamination of all food products was far below the stated limits, except for mushrooms. Extrapolation of the results to the total food consumption gave the radioactive burden due to this food as an estimated 0.2 mSv per year. All of the food products investigated, except mushrooms, can be regarded as safe with respect to radioactive contamination. In addition to sampling agricultural produce, field exposure measurements were also carried out. The measured values, expressed in equivalent doses, ranged from 1.8 to 14 mSv per year at a height of 1 m, with a median value of about 4 mSv per year.     

Arsenic accumulation and speciation analysis in wool from sheep exposed to arsenosugars

Wool or hair fibre is a metabolically dead material after it has left the epidermis. During growth the fibre in the root is a metabolically very active organ, which is highly influenced by the health status of the living being. Arsenic is one of the elements that is easily taken up by the cells of the root and stored in the fibre afterwards. Here we show that arsenic can quantitatively be extracted by boiling the wool fibre or hair in water. The high intake of arsenic species by the sheep of North Ronaldsay (the seaweed-eating sheep) leads to a high arsenic concentration in wool (mean 5.2+/-2.3 mug g(-1)). The wool of lambs of these sheep, which are not exposed to seaweed, contains about 10 times less arsenic, which is still elevated compared to uncontaminated wool. The arsenic species identified in wool extract are arsenite (As(III)), arsenate (As(V)), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA(V)) and monomethylarsonious acid (MMA(III)) as minor species. The major species is dimethylated arsenic DMA in its tri- and pentavalent form (dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V))) accounting for 85% of the specified arsenic in the wool which reflects the amount of dimethylated species (i.e. the arsenoribofuranosides) taken up by seaweed being the main food source of the sheep. However, there are unknown arsenic species in the extract, which are not eluting from a strong anion exchange column. In vitro incubation experiments with this kind of wool showed that it has reducing properties but no demethylation was recorded. The absorption ability of the wool for methylated arsenic species is negligible, while inorganic arsenic is easier to be absorbed in the fibre (11-17%). This means that the species integrity is only guaranteed in terms of the degree of methylation but not in terms of their redox status.     

Arsenic round the world: a review

This review deals with environmental origin, occurrence, episodes, and impact on human health of arsenic. Arsenic, a metalloid occurs naturally, being the 20th most abundant element in the earth's crust, and is a component of more than 245 minerals. These are mostly ores containing sulfide, along with copper, nickel, lead, cobalt, or other metals. Arsenic and its compounds are mobile in the environment. Weathering of rocks converts arsenic sulfides to arsenic trioxide, which enters the arsenic cycle as dust or by dissolution in rain, rivers, or groundwater. So, groundwater contamination by arsenic is a serious threat to mankind all over the world. It can also enter food chain causing wide spread distribution throughout the plant and animal kingdoms. However, fish, fruits, and vegetables primarily contain organic arsenic, less than 10% of the arsenic in these foods exists in the inorganic form, although the arsenic content of many foods (i.e. milk and dairy products, beef and pork, poultry, and cereals) is mainly inorganic, typically 65-75%. A few recent studies report 85-95% inorganic arsenic in rice and vegetables, which suggest more studies for standardisation. Humans are exposed to this toxic arsenic primarily from air, food, and water. Thousands and thousands of people are suffering from the toxic effects of arsenicals in many countries all over the world due to natural groundwater contamination as well as industrial effluent and drainage problems. Arsenic, being a normal component of human body is transported by the blood to different organs in the body, mainly in the form of MMA after ingestion. It causes a variety of adverse health effects to humans after acute and chronic exposures such as dermal changes (pigmentation, hyperkeratoses, and ulceration), respiratory, pulmonary, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, hematological, hepatic, renal, neurological, developmental, reproductive, immunologic, genotoxic, mutagenetic, and carcinogenic effects. Key research studies are needed for improving arsenic risk assessment at low exposure levels urgently among all the arsenic research groups.     

Electrochemical measurement and speciation of inorganic arsenic in groundwater of Bangladesh

The presence of arsenic in groundwater above the maximum permissible limit of 50 mug l(-1) has threatened the health of more than 50 million people in Bangladesh and neighboring India. We report here the development of an inexpensive anodic stripping voltammetric (ASV) technique for routine measurement and speciation of arsenic in groundwater. The measurements are validated by more expensive atomic absorption, atomic emission and other techniques. To understand the present situation in Bangladesh, we measured As(III) in 960 water samples collected from 18 districts. A random distribution of 238 samples was used to measure both As(III) and As(V). The results from the present study indicate that most toxic form of inorganic arsenic, As(III), has the broad range of 30-98%. It shows 60% of the samples have 10 mug l(-1) and 44% of the samples have 50 mug l(-1) or more As(III). The fractional distribution pattern shows significant skew towards high percent occurrence which may indicate a progressive reduction process with a single source or a single mechanism for the formation of As(III). For direct consumption, this is possibly one of the most toxic groundwater known today. Speciation distribution at groundwater pH value shows H(3)AsO(3) is the predominant species including H(2)AsO(4)(-) and H(2)AsO(4)(2-) whose distribution is significantly pH dependent. This is also supported by E(h)-pH measurements. The depth distribution for Kushtia shows most of the As(III) is located within 100-200 ft deep aquifers. Similar fractional distribution of As(III) is found in deeper aquifers and may indicate contamination by leakage from upper aquifer. This study clearly demonstrates the aquifer environment is reductive and conducive to the formation of As(III) species.