Evaluation of the performance and acceptance of the arsenic mitigation options in Bangladesh

Abstract

The ruml people of Banglade,h arc mostly dependent on hand tube wells for dri nking water _A significant number of tube \' elis e~tracl ground watcr cOlllaminated by arsenic thaI has geological origin. MallY technologies are used for removal of arsenic fWln g,-nund "ater. But the performances of all of these technologies are not al the sam~ Icvel and lheir acceptahility both socially and economically are dilTcrcnt. In the prescnt study an attempt has been made tu evaluJle the performance 0 f different arsenic rcmo\'~1 and alternative technologies in diffelellt wcioecollomic regions in three \lpazilas of Bangladesh. The upazilas are la\\'ardi in Pahna district, Sonatgaon in Narayanganj di"lrict and Kauchua in Chadpur districls In the study area the pmcticed methods illclude lwo arsenic removal methods namely Three Pitcher Filler and Shapla Filter and sevcral olher arscnic alternativc methods namely Pond Sand Fillcr, Rain Waler Harve~ting, Dug".ells. Tarap\llnp, Canada l3angladcsh Water Filter and Deep Tubewcll. COllsidering the arSenLCrcmoval effi~ieney, CU,lomer satisfaction, e~onomlc considerations, and operation and maintcnam.~ peoples of the area prefer Shapla Filler lor arsenic removal and Pond Sand Filler for arsenic alternative technology. Pcople prefer a~enic alternalive technology to arsenLcrcmoval lcclmology