ABSTRACT
Arsenic contamination of tube well (TW) water, which constitutes the primary source of drinking water, has emerged as a serious health and social problem in rural Bangladesh. The symptoms of arsenic poisoning include intense stomach pain, vomiting, weight loss, low-grade fever, and delirium. Bangladesh's arsenic crisis dates back to the 1970s. Between 1970 and 1990, TW water was heavily promoted and developed in Bangladesh as a safe and environmentally-acceptable alternative to microbiologically unsafe surface water. Since the mid-1990s many national and international organisations have been involved in identifying arsenic contaminated tube wells in Bangladesh. As noted, adverse health effects resulting from the consumption of arsenic contaminated water range from skin abnormalities to lung, liver, kidney, and bladder cancers. To date, iterature on arsenicosis treatment and treatment choice is very limited. Although both men and women suffer from arsenicosis, empirical studies suggest that arsenic poisoning has led to greater ostracisation of afflicted women and girls.
