Title: Study of arsenic contamination in groundwater in the Terai Alluvial Plain, Nepal

Authors: Ganesh Raj Joshi, Sunil Kumar Dwivedi

Addresses: University of the Ryukyus, Japan. ' University of the Ryukyus, Japan

Abstract: Approximately 11 million people live in the Terai Alluvial Plain (TAP) of Nepal and about 90% of them entirely depend on groundwater. Recently, the evidence of arsenic contamination in the groundwater of the TAP has been recognized as a public health problem. Till now, about 449,283 tube wells were tested, and 10% of them were found to contain arsenic concentration >10 ppb and 2.6% have >50 ppb. This paper focuses on the sedimentary analysis of aquifer sediments and their source rocks. The study shows the Siwaliks rocks are the possible source of arsenic contamination of groundwater in the TAP.

Keywords: arsenic contamination; groundwater; water pollution; Nepal; sedimentary analysis; aquifer sediments; source rocks; public health.

DOI: 10.1504/IER.2007.053981

Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, 2007 Vol.9 No.2, pp.200 - 209

Published online: 13 May 2013 *

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