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<p>Geogenic groundwater arsenic (As) pollution (≥ 10 μg/l) has severely compromised access to safe drinking water for millions of people, while mitigation strategies continue to face major obstacles arising from technical shortcomings and social neglect. The present study employs a multifaceted research approach aimed at investigating the availability and accessibility of drinking water sources, with a techno-sociological perspective that is imperative for a prudent mitigation plan in the Western Bengal basin (India). The study involved assessment of community-based treatment plants (<i>n</i> = 50), subsurface characterization (25 boreholes and 82 groundwater samples), and a sociological survey (64 households interviewed). The results revealed that the community-based arsenic-iron removal plants (AIRP) supplied As-safe water (&lt; 10&#xa0;μg/l), but access was limited in the affected areas. Standalone community water purification plants (CWPPs) installed as an inexpensive alternative failed to provide As-safe water. These factors encourage locals to rely on alternative solutions, like purchased water from local vendors and handpump-abstracted groundwater. The locals’ preference for purchased water can be attributed to their financial status, trust, and familiarity. The use of handpump-abstracted groundwater from brown-sand (BS) aquifers by the local population revealed that it can be a potential As-safe drinking water option that is both convenient and accessible. Ignorance of local hydrogeological conditions and groundwater chemistry is primarily responsible for the inefficiency of the community-based water systems. Groundwater abstraction from BS aquifers can be an interim solution, particularly in areas where efficient community-based water systems are unavailable. These findings offer key takeaways that policymakers and practitioners can consider when designing effective mitigation schemes, complemented by socio-techno-economic assessments.</p>

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Evaluating the feasibility of arsenic-safe drinking water options in the Western Bengal Basin, India

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月18日

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  • Tridip Bhowmik,
  • Oindrila Bose,
  • Pratyay Tripathy,
  • Soumyajit Sarkar,
  • Maya Jha,
  • Kanhaiya Kumar,
  • Chander Kumar Singh,
  • Nupur Bose,
  • Ashok Ghosh,
  • Sudha Agrahari,
  • Probal Sengupta,
  • Animesh Bhattacharya,
  • Prosun Bhattacharya,
  • Abhijit Mukherjee

摘要

Geogenic groundwater arsenic (As) pollution (≥ 10 μg/l) has severely compromised access to safe drinking water for millions of people, while mitigation strategies continue to face major obstacles arising from technical shortcomings and social neglect. The present study employs a multifaceted research approach aimed at investigating the availability and accessibility of drinking water sources, with a techno-sociological perspective that is imperative for a prudent mitigation plan in the Western Bengal basin (India). The study involved assessment of community-based treatment plants (n = 50), subsurface characterization (25 boreholes and 82 groundwater samples), and a sociological survey (64 households interviewed). The results revealed that the community-based arsenic-iron removal plants (AIRP) supplied As-safe water (< 10 μg/l), but access was limited in the affected areas. Standalone community water purification plants (CWPPs) installed as an inexpensive alternative failed to provide As-safe water. These factors encourage locals to rely on alternative solutions, like purchased water from local vendors and handpump-abstracted groundwater. The locals’ preference for purchased water can be attributed to their financial status, trust, and familiarity. The use of handpump-abstracted groundwater from brown-sand (BS) aquifers by the local population revealed that it can be a potential As-safe drinking water option that is both convenient and accessible. Ignorance of local hydrogeological conditions and groundwater chemistry is primarily responsible for the inefficiency of the community-based water systems. Groundwater abstraction from BS aquifers can be an interim solution, particularly in areas where efficient community-based water systems are unavailable. These findings offer key takeaways that policymakers and practitioners can consider when designing effective mitigation schemes, complemented by socio-techno-economic assessments.