ABSTRACT
In West Bengal, India, arsenic, iron and microbial contamination has been reported from shallow aquifers (<50 m) of the Bengal Delta Plain (BDP). Six groundwater affected side at Chakdaha Block of Nadia District in West Bengal was selected to study groundwater quality parameter notably arsenic and microbial contamination. The study revealed that arsenic contamination is the highest in site B (up to 0.171 mg L–1), whereas site E has been identified as the lowest (0.089 mg L–1) and rest are in between. Similarly microbial contamination has been the highest in site D and the lowest in site A. Further, high concentrations of arsenic along with microbial contamination have also been found in several sites A, C, D and F. The field scale study indicated simultaneously occurrences of arsenic and microbial contamination, suggesting role of microbial pollution in arsenic mobilization.
