Report by

Mahfuz Rahman

Mehdi Hasan

A.S.M.Masuduzzaman

Sharif Hassan Chowdhury

Dhaka, Bangladesh

U.S. geologists Husain & Bridge's group has presented reliable solutions of arsenic free water supply from the existing tube wells in arsenic contaminated regions of Bangladesh, West Bengal of India, Nepal and Vietnam. In the past many scientists have blamed donor agencies for not conducting test on water before installing millions of wells in Bangladesh and West Bengal. Husain et.al. in their article" Emergency Water Supply: Arsenic Removal Filters? Or Use of Tubewells in Wet season and Dugwells and River Waters in Dry Season?" presented reliable solutions to the problem. People of Bangladesh will be able to use arsenic free water again from about 8-10 millions of wells for 6-7 months of wet season. The "Red marked wells" do not pose any threat to the arsenic affected nations during wet season from about 3-5 feet above the arsenic contaminated zone. This is a great scientific discovery to save the humanity of arsenic affected nations. This is a great victory of environmentally concerned scientists to save the people, ecosystem and environment of arsenic affected nations. We agree with Dr. Husain et.al that we should not bring arsenic contaminants from underground to the surface by arsenic removal filters and recontaminate the soil, sediments, water and agricultural products. We think scientists and policy maker of arsenic affected nations should consider the following emergency water supply methods presented by geologist Husain et.al.: "Solutions to the arsenic problem: Before developing a permanent solution to the problem, we believe govt. of Bangladesh, West Bengal of India and Nepal should immediately implement the following emergency water supply projects: 1. During wet season, the people of the above mentioned nations can abstract arsenic free water from above the "arsenic contaminated zone". They can abstract and enjoy arsenic free water for about 6-7 months by using tubewells from the existing well in the arsenic contaminated areas. In that case they need to pull the casing up and set the well screen about3-5 feet above the arsenic contaminated zone. So during wet season, people of the arsenic affected areas will not have to deal with groundwater arsenic contamination at all. During wet season people should not use arsenic removal filters at all, because the water above the arsenic contaminated zone is free of arsenic poisoning. The municipal water supply units also generate a large volume of arsenic sludge. During wet season they can also abstract arsenic free water from above the contaminated zone and thus reduce the amount of arsenic toxic sludge by 50-60% than the past and present time. We think this is a best solution for 6-7 months in arsenic contaminated areas. 2. During dry season, the people can use river waters. The low turbidity river water can be filtered through charcoal filter and disinfected by chlorination process. This method has been successfully using in all water treatment units and emergency water supply projects every where in the world. This method is safe in all respects. 3. During wet and dry season people can also abstract arsenic free waters from dug wells even in the arsenic contaminated areas. It is important to note that the dug wells are not free of arsenic contamination where tube wells are found to be highly contaminated at the same depth. Dug wells waters are low in arsenic concentration due to it's bigger diameter and atmospheric oxidation helps to precipitate arsenic with iron. Whereas in tube wells oxidation process is very slow due to it's small diameter and as a result tubewells are found to be highly contaminated. If large volume of water is abstracted on a daily basis from dug wells without any proper protection, after a certain period of time the dug well waters will show high concentration of arsenic, because the source of dug wells and tube wells is groundwater. However with proper protection, arsenic free water can be abstracted from dug wells in arsenic contaminated areas. In this process arsenic waste will remain at the bottom of the dug wells and thus it will reduce/stop the risk of re-contamination of air, soil and sediments, surface and groundwater resources as well as agricultural resources. In developed countries, pathogenic organisms in surface water and dug well water that cause various types of diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery, diarrhea etc. are no longer a problem due to proper water protection, treatment and monitoring. The govt. of Bangladesh, West Bengal and Nepal can effectively abstract arsenic free water from dugwells round the year. We are conducting research to find a better way of abstracting bacteria free and arsenic free water from dug wells in arsenic contaminated areas. 4. Arsenic removal filters including SONO filters are the last option, because disposal of arsenic waster is very expensive. Improper disposal causes air pollution, contamination of soil and sediments, surface and groundwater, aquatic organisms, agricultural resources etc. The geological, hydrological, hydrogeological and hydro-metereological as well as socio-economic conditions are not suitable for the construction and maintaining a modern sanitary landfill for properly disposing arsenic sludges from the arsenic removal filters and treatment units. The over pumping of groundwater creates arsenic poisoning at the subsurface, and the removal and disposal of arsenic wastes causes numerous problems at the surface. Dr. Hussam has a great difficulty in understanding and using the term TCLP and TCLP test data and as a result he has been advocating that the Sono filter does not generate toxic waste. We will thoroughly examine Dr. Hussam's misinterpretation and misconception of TCLP test data. We will also examine his Sono filter's waste disposal method in Bangladesh. This is a very serious scientific issue and as a result his arsenic waste disposal method must be examined as soon as possible. We as experienced professionals in dealing with numerous contaminated projects are respectfully requesting the arsenic filter users not to dispose arsenic waste from Sono and other filters on the ground, in the rivers, lakes, ponds and other low lying areas as suggested by Dr. Hussam. Those users who have already disposed of arsenic sludge/wastes improperly, should collect the wastes and contain it in a secured location until permanent solutions are figured out. Those who have clean and good tubewell waters , should share the water with their neighbors. The arsenic removal by filters is not a good solution/process in the context of the geological, hydrological, hydrogeological, hydrometreological and socio-economic conditions of Bangladesh, West Bengal, Nepal as well as Vietnam. 5. The permanent solution is to develop a centralized water treatment and distribution system for each rural and city areas. The treatment and distribution system can use both surface and groundwater. The centralized distribution system is environmentally friendly, well monitored, long lasting and in the long run it is economic (please see the article:Arsenic Disaster in Bangladesh-An Urgent Call to Save a Nation, by Bridge & Husain,1998). The govt. of Bangladesh, West Bengal of India, Nepal and Vietnam should engage appropriate and experienced professionals for collecting reliable data, develop and implement a centralized treatment and distribution system. They should not waste their time and money by engaging inappropriate and inexperienced professionals and implementing unreliable systems." Does Arsenic Filter for Water Offer Hope to Millions??? If arsenic removal filters including "SONO Filter" generate arsenic wastes then we should not use arsenic removal filters. Dr. Hussam has been claiming that Sono filter does not produce any toxic wastes and his arsenic waste disposal method was thoroughly examined by Grainger Challenge Prize committee. However,Husain et.al. strongly disagree with Dr. Hussam's TCLP data analysis and arsenic waste disposal method. We think Dr. Hussam should share the data as requested by geologist Husain et.al. that support his waste disposal method. People of arsenic affected nations and scientific community must have easy access to Dr. Hussam's arsenic waste disposal related data that was approved by NAE. Sono and other arsenic removal filters certainly produce toxic arsenic wastes. If the wastes recontaminate air, soil and sediments, surface and groundwater resources, bottom dewelling fishes and other micro organisms, and agricultural products, then we should abandon the arsenic filters as early as possible. Geologist Husain, Dr. Adel have shared several articles on US contaminated sites that revealed serious health and environmental problems caused by indiscriminate disposal of arsenic wastes. Soil scientist Dr. Immamul Hoque of Dhaka University, geologist Dr. Jamal Anwar and several other foreign scientists reported that rice in Bangladesh is being tainted/contaminated by arsenic due to agricultural irrigation with arsenic contaminated groundwater. We think govt. of Bangladesh should take an emergency action plan to protect the air quality, soil and sediments, surface and groundwater resources, agricultural resources, ecosystem and environment from the arsenic disaster.