Poverty is ramped throughout India and is a main indicator of many factors such as quality of life, access to health care, education, per capita income, and access to improved sanitation. However, living in poverty can also be linked to a higher risk and prevalence of various illnesses such as arsenicosis. Arsenicosis is a chronic disease caused by contamination of arsenic usually through drinking water or contaminated food products. Arsenic poisoning causes melanosis, keratosis, and many different breathing problems. Contamination is partially due to over exploitation of groundwater which has led to leaching of the arsenic into the irrigation and drinking water sources. One of the first cases of arsenic poisoning in India was in West Bengal in 1983 (Sarkar, 2009). Since the first case of arsenic poisoning, the number of people at risk for arsenic poison increases annually. This endemic is confined in India to the areas around West Bengal and Bangladesh
Retrieved from http://gangajal.org.in/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/arsenic_map_of_asia.jpg
However, this area is a major agricultural zone and these areas transport a lot of their foods throughout India. If the food is irrigated with contaminated water or processed with contaminated water those whom receive food from this area are just as much at risk (Sarkar, 2009). This is why the problem of arsenicosis is a problem for all of India.
Poverty is linked to the prevalence of arsenicosis for many reasons. Once such reason is that there is a strong link between dietary intake and manifestations of chronic arsenicosis. People with low intake of proteins and other macronutrients such as calcium, selenium, vitamins A, C, and E are more prone to arsenic related diseases (Sarkar, 2009). Many of these nutrients come from pulses but production of pulses in West Bengal has declined from .24 million tones in 1980 to .17 million tones in 2003 and due to the shrinking supply the poor cannot afford these types of foods (Sarkar, 2009). These pulses are important because without them the body has a slower metabolism, less detoxification in the liver and impaired urinary elimination of arsenic (Sarkar, 2010).
Once rural villagers develop the disease they are worse off than those of higher socioeconomic status because they are in areas with poor infrastructure and limited medical care. This disease often affects their physical abilities which further reduces their economic activity and spirals them into a lower poverty level. One study was done in Bangladesh looking at 5 villages where arsenic contaminated existed in 2005. In Bangladesh overall 103 million people are dependent on shallow wells and more than half of the population is at risk for high levels of arsenic. Specifically in these five villages they found a high correlation between literacy, poverty, and arsenic concentrations. In Rajarampur there is low female literacy, high poverty, and has 14 contaminated wells. However, Ranihati has the same percentage of poverty but has 35 contaminated wells. This disparity may be explained by the fact that Ranihati has a slightly larger number of members per household so each member receives a lesser share of nutrition in their diet (Nahar, Hossain, and Hossain, 2008, 44). Villagers in this area with a lower per capita income were also more likely to incur arsenicosis due to this low diet. This study clearly shows the correlation between poverty and risk of arsenicosis.
The question remains, what can be done about this situation? There are multiply possible solutions such as rainwater harvesting, filters, due wells, and improving medical care. Governments and international organizations have usually pushed filters because they are inexpensive. However, the filters produce a toxic sludge that must be disposed of and often times the filters do not receive the proper maintenance required. Organizations have to look at each individual village and see what works for them specifically. Many villagers even if they receive filters do not use them because of a choleric smell. Perhaps the most beneficial solution might be to provide better access to medical care for those of lower socioeconomic status. People with higher socioeconomic status have greater access to information and can afford alternative services. Poor villagers on the other hand are more likely to seek care from untrained health workers (Sarkar, 2010). The best solution would to provide villagers with better roofing material so that rainwater harvesting could be a viable option. However, this is an expensive endeavor and not completely viable. The best option as of right now seems to be increasing knowledge and understanding about the risks of arsenic contamination and providing proper medical care.
References
Nahar, N. , Hossain, F. & Hossain, D. (2008). Health and socioeconomic effects of groundwater
arsenic contamination in rural bangladesh: new evidence from field surveys . Journal of
environmental health, 70(9), 44-47. Retrieved from http://iweb.tntech.edu/fhossain/papers/HealthArsenic_review.pdf
Sarkar, A. (2010). Ecosystem perspective of groundwater arsenic contamination in india and
relevance in policy. Ecohealth, 7, 114-126. Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com/content/n107p165j14374m4/
Sarkar, A. (2009). Sustainable solutions to arsenic contamination of ground water: a review of
existing opportunities in the ganga-meghna-brahmaputra basin. (pp. 72-87). New Delhi, India: Water, Agriculture and Sustainable Wellbeing Oxford University Press.
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