Correlation among the water quality parameters of drinking water sources at selected arsenic affected areas

Abstract

Ensuring safe drinking water is one of the prime objectives of the Government and the others who are working in the water supply sector in Bangladesh. Hazigang is one of the worst arsenic affected Upazilas where water of 98% shallow tubewells contains arsenic at elevated level. So Bangladesh Arsenic Mitigation Water Supply Project has taken the GPS based Water Quality Survey at this upazila. Water samples of 86 Deep hand tubewells have been analyzed to assess the drinking water quality in relation to Bangladesh standard (DoE-1997) and WHO Guideline value (1993). In addition, elements related to human health together with the geochemical conditions that give rise to excess and deficiency have also been considered. 76 samples contain high iron but all the 86 samples are free from fecal coli form. However, 10 samples show high turbidity as per DoE- I 997. Concentration of some potentially toxic elements such as Ba, Al and Pb are higher than acceptable limit in groundwater of the investigated areas. ChapaiNawabganj is another Upazila where TWs are arsemc affected. Out of 25 Water samples from Deep TWs 7 are containing arsenic higher than the BD standard. 17 TWs contain Iron, 24 TWs Manganese, 22 TWs Calcium and 25 TWs contain Barium higher than BD Standard. In Vadaria Upazila of Pirojpur District 32 samples were collected from Deep TWs. Out of them 27 are contain Chloride, 5 Iron and 32 contain Barium higher than the BD standard. However, no sample crossed maximum level of Arsenic in this Upazila. Faridganj and Bakerganj are other two arsenic affected upazilas where about 80%- 90% shallow tubewells are severely contaminated by arsenic. So ITN, BUET has selected these two upazilas for Water Quality testing. 6 Deep tubewells at each upazila have been analyzed by ITN. Out of the 6 samples all have high arsenic concentration, 5 have Ba concentration higher than permissible limit, however, no water sample at Bakerganj has iron higher than the drinking standard. But at Faridganj upazila out of 6 tubewells 3 have higher iron concentration and only I water source cross the maximum permissible limit of arsenic. • Sharif Mos. Ferdausy, Roll: 96 04 127P VI Correlation among the Water Quality Parameters of Drinking Water Sources at selected Arsenic Affected Areas Other Water Quality Parameters also show same scattered values at these five upazilas. So, it is not so clear that if there is any correlation among the parameters or not. In this context, it is important to conduct national baseline survey to analyze the abundance and distribution of key elements of health significance present in groundwater.