Arsenic Pollution of Ground Water in Bangladesh and West Bengal
This Project Proposal Document (PPD) is concerned with the description of a proposed project designed to remediate the arsenic-polluted aquifers in Bangladesh and West Bengal. To do so, it is necessary to develop in-situ geochemical aquifer intervention procedures that would arrest arsenic release from the source material by either eliminating or reducing the release of arsenic and its delivery to the aquifers. The broad tasks required include:
- Determination of the source of arsenic amongst the geologic material in the substrate,
- Development of relevant and effective remedial physico-chemical, geochemical and biogeochemical methods to arrest arsenic release by controlling the release and delivery of the arsenic from the arsenic source materials to the aquifers, and
- Designing the appropriate "arrest" procedures and technology that would be implemented in the field at the Community Level.
The medical and social aspects of the problem have been well documented. These, together with the geological underpinning of the problem which have also been presented in detail in many past and recent well-research studies, will not be repeated herein. No attempt will be made to provide the detailed geological aspects of the problem. The basic elements of this document will consist of:
- A brief background of the arsenic pollution problem consisting of the main elements they relate to the proposed project (Section 2.0).
- The framework and elements leading to the choice of the focus for the proposed study project (Section 3.0).
- Problem identification and definition – for the proposed project (Section 4.0).
- The statement of the objectives and tasks for the proposed project (Section 5.0).
- Timing, deliverables and budgets (Section 6.0).
- The various research groups that form the CSC-STD Arsenic Research Team, and the mode of action (Section 7.0).