BANGLARSENIC · Arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh: health and social hazards

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Project objective

The arsenic hazard arising from the consumption of contaminated groundwater has created one of the world's largest environmental health crises. At least 30 million people are at risk of serious medical consequences that include cancer. Morbidity is already widespread and mortality will increase as the poison accumulates in people's bodies. This project will deploy innovative and varied methods to produce (a) risk maps using Geographical Information Systems and models of other databases of biological samples and field-based medical diagnoses; (b) qualitative insights of social hazards arising from arsenic poisoning; (c) policy analyses and recommendations. Although there is a large literature on arsenic in Bangladesh and West Bengal from the points of vie w of environmental science and geochemistry, relatively little work has been published from a geographical or social science perspective. We seek to provide the first comprehensive insights that draw upon interdisciplinary methodologies that are, on the one hand, technical and scientific, and, on the other hand, draw upon the methodologies of the social sciences and humanities. The result will be a powerful hybrid that will (a) assist with the development of new techniques, (b) provide novel insights into a hitherto intractable problem, and (c) give an opportunity for training and research at the highest level to a Bangladeshi researcher of great promise. On completion of the project, the researcher will return to Bangladesh and pursue an independent research career. Overall the project will provide significant benefits to both participating institutions, to the individual researchers, and to the development of the research infrastructures of Bangladesh and the European Union.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM · DURHAMCoordinatorUnited Kingdom

Links

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