| Arsenic is a metalloid element, belongs to V group in | | | | "Given widespread exposure to inorganic arsenic from |
| periodic table, found in the natural environment in some | | | | drinking water worldwide, elucidating the contribution of |
| abundance in the Earth’s crust and in small | | | | arsenic to the diabetes epidemic is a public health |
| quantities in rock, soil, water and air. About one third of | | | | research priority with potential implications for the |
| the arsenic in the atmosphere comes from natural | | | | prevention and control of diabetes . |
| sources, such as volcanoes, and the rest comes from | | | | Arsenic induced type 2 diabetes depends on |
| man-made sources. The mineral (inorganic) forms of | | | | concentration of arsenic, arsenic compound, time of |
| arsenic (iAs) are generally more toxic than its more | | | | exposure, biological model. Arsenic induced diabetes |
| complex organic compounds found naturally in plant | | | | also depends on individual susceptibility which includes: |
| and animal tissues. | | | | genetic factors, nutritional status, health status, |
| Countries where As levels in drinking water have been | | | | detoxification capability, interactions with other trace |
| found to exceed the World Health Organization | | | | elements, and presence of other risk factors for |
| Standard of 10 µg/l include Argentina, Australia, | | | | diabetes mellitus. |
| Bangladesh, chile, China, Hungary, India, Mexico, Peru, | | | | The pandemic of arsenic poisoning due to |
| Taiwan, United States of America. The National | | | | contaminated groundwater in West Bengal, India, and |
| Academy of Sciences estimates that about 75,000 to | | | | all of Bangladesh has been thought to be limited to the |
| 100,000 tons of arsenic is produced annually on a | | | | Ganges Delta (the Lower Ganga Plain), despite early |
| global scale. About 80% of arsenic compounds are | | | | survey reports of arsenic contamination in |
| used to manufacture products with agricultural | | | | groundwater in the Union Territory of Chandigarh and |
| applications such as insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, | | | | its surroundings in the northwestern Upper Ganga Plain |
| algaecides, sheep dips, wood preservatives, dyestuffs | | | | and recent findings in the Terai area of Nepal. |
| and for the eradication of tapeworms in sheep and | | | | High levels of arsenic above the permissible levels of |
| cattle. In addition, the use of arsenic in microelectronics | | | | 50 parts per billion (ppb) are found in the alluvial plains |
| is increasing. Thus, in addition to water contamination | | | | of Ganges covering six districts of West Bengal. |
| by this metal, anthropogenic activity is also | | | | Presence of heavy metals in groundwater is found in |
| important. Arsenic exposure causes diabetes mellitus | | | | 40 districts from 13 states, viz., Andhra Pradesh, |
| besides other toxic effects like Cancerous diseases | | | | Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, |
| such as: Skin cancer, bladder cancer, liver, lung and | | | | Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil |
| stomach cancer. | | | | Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and five blocks of |
| Non-cancerous diseases such as: Peripheral vascular | | | | Delhi. There is increase in the prevalence of diabetes |
| disease, cardiovascular and cerbrovascular diseases, | | | | mellitus among residents of arseniasis-endemic areas |
| hypertension, goitre, hepatomegaly, respiratory system | | | | as compared to residents in non-endemic areas. The |
| dysfunction, nervous system dysfunction and diabetes | | | | spread of arsenic contamination in groundwater |
| mellitus. | | | | seems to be assuming gargantuan proportions. What |
| Arsenic have been recently proposed as additional risk | | | | is worse is that inhabitants of the affected areas are |
| factors for type 2 diabetes. Hydroarsenicism is a | | | | unaware and the local authorities totally oblivious to this |
| major public health problem since millions of people | | | | grave problem. It was known that West Bengal (WB) |
| worldwide are exposed to arsenic by the drinking of | | | | and Bangladesh had high levels of arsenic in the |
| contaminated water. An increased prevalalence of | | | | groundwater, but slowly the problem is spreading to |
| diabetes has been consistently observed among | | | | other states like Uttar Pradesh. This is confirmed by |
| residents of high arsenic exposure areas, whereas | | | | the reports of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, |
| inconsistent findings have been reported from | | | | New Delhi that people living in the Ballia district of UP |
| occupational and community-based studies in low | | | | also have high levels of arsenic in their blood, hair, nails, |
| arsenic exposure areas. Peoples are exposed to | | | | etc. |
| arsenic through many foods containing small amounts | | | | People should be made aware that their |
| of arsenic and water, eating or breathing soil or dust | | | | arsenic-related diseases are due to the |
| particles contaminated with arsenic, drinking | | | | arsenic-contaminated groundwater they are using for |
| groundwater from natural deposits containing arsenic, | | | | drinking and cooking. Lowering of the ingested inorganic |
| breathing sawdust or burning smoke from wood | | | | arsenic level and introduction of |
| treated with arsenic, working in a job that involves | | | | newer treatment options (implementation |
| arsenic production or use, such as copper or lead | | | | of laterite, the natural material) to ensure safe water |
| smelting, wood treating, or pesticide application, touching | | | | supply (arsenic free and/or low arsenic within |
| arsenic-containing materials | | | | permissible limit) are the urgent needs to safeguard |
| Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic represents a risk | | | | against mass arsenic poisoning and internal |
| factor for diabetes mellitus in both environmental and | | | | arsenic-related health problems. |
| occupational. The researchers reportedly concluded: | | | | |