Perception, Effect And Remedies About Arsenic Contamination With Special Reference To Bhojpur District.

Abstract

ABSTRACT
The study aims to understand the perceptions of residents in the Bhojpur district of Bihar state, India, which is affected by arsenic, as well as the health issues that they encounter. Additionally, an attempt has been made to determine what the government has done and what efforts the residents of arsenic-affected areas are making on their own level to prevent the effects of arsenic. In the PHED lab, we have also conducted numerous tests to confirm the data gathered from their perception. In order to gather information for this study, a thematic analysis was conducted through focused group discussions and purposive sampling of 50 people in five villages of two blocks. The results of focus groups and unstructured interviews showed that people in arsenic-affected areas develop black spots on their bodies, suffer from kidney damage, stomach-related illnesses, and have trouble digesting food. People in arsenic-affected areas are afraid of getting married. Due to the effects of arsenic, villagers started leaving the village. It was learnt from the villagers that if water containing arsenic is kept in an earthen pot for 5 hours, the arsenic in it reacts with air, becomes heavy, and settles at the bottom. Five water samples were taken from two villages of Koelwar block and tested in the Public Health Engineering Department lab to test this. From the data obtained, it became clear that after keeping water in the pot for 6 hours, arsenic oxidised, and arsenite turned into arsenate. Arsenate is 40-50 times less toxic than arsenite and is heavier than arsenite, which settles at the bottom. After 6 hours, the water from the upper 2/3rd part of the pot can be taken out and drunk. All these experiments have been written in detail in this research paper.