Groundwater

contamination and food

safety in Bangladesh
Introduction
Bangladesh is a country of rivers and floods but groundwater is still a
vital resource because it provides bacterially safe water and helps
produce food for millions of people. In rural and urban areas almost the
entire population relies on groundwater for potable water. In the early
1990s some 97% of the population used it for drinking, but this has now
come down to about 80% due to the groundwater contamination.
Groundwater sources are contaminated with different contaminants like
toxic trace metals, coliforms as well as other organic and inorganic
pollutants. The large population places significant pressure on land and
water resources, leading to pollution, the rapid depletion of
groundwater resources and detrimental impacts on food production and
food safety in Bangladesh.
Current condition of Groundwater
 Annual groundwater availability in Bangladesh is estimated at 65km3.

 Seventy-nine percent of Bangladesh’s cultivatable land is irrigated by

groundwater, with the remainder irrigated by surface water.

 Current extraction rates of groundwater are unsustainable, with many

reports suggesting it is being extracted faster than it is being recharged.

 In 2010, groundwater was recorded as being extracted at the rate of 53

billion m3 a year, while it was recharged by 50 billion m3.

 A high level of natural arsenic contamination in groundwater is also a

significant problem, with an estimated 25 percent exceeding safety levels
specified by Bangladesh.
Physicochemical properties parameters in groundwater
in Bangladesh

Samples BOD (mg/L) Conductivi

Temperatu
Location COD (mg/L) DO (mg/L) pH TDS (mg/L) ty (μ- Reference
re (°C)
mhos/cm)
Mymensing
(
h (Different
─ 4.636 1.123 ─ 7.077 ─ 369.615 Ahmed et a
types of l., 2010
Tubwells) )
Cox's Bazar (Seddique
paleobeach ─ ─ 3.27 27 7.1 677 ─ et al., 201
area 6
)
Rajshahi
(Mostafa
City (27.39 ± (6.91 ± (297.44 ± (445.44 ±
─ ─ ─ et al., 201
(Shallow 0.68) 0.18) 49.7) 49.41) 7
Tubwells) )
Rajshahi (Mostafa
(27.2 ± (241.65 ± (454.98 ±
City (Deep ─ ─ ─ (7.0 ± 0.14) et al., 201
0.54) 21.7) 52.47) 7
Tubwells)
)
(
Panchbibi, (7.935 ± (270.48 ± (422.63 ±
─ ─ ─ ─ Islam et al.
Joypurhat 0.46) 104.78) 163.73) , 2017d
)
 Conduct
Samples Temper
BOD COD DO TDS ivity (μ- Referen
Locatio ature pH
(mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) mhos/c ce
n (°C)
m)
Barguna
(
(Shallow
─ ─ ─ 27.76 7.42 4829 8973 Islam et 
Tubewel al., 2017
l) d
Banglad )
esh
(
Standard
0.2 4.0 6.0 20–30 - 1000 - DPHE, 2
s 018
(Drinkin )
g water)
Banglad
esh
Standar
(
d
50 200 4.5–8.0 40–45 6–9 2100 1200 DoE, 20
(Industri 08
al )
Effluent
)
Trace elements concentration (mg/L) in
Bangladesh in groundwater.
Samplin
g Referen
Cr Cu Fe Mn Ni Zn Cd Pb
Locatio ce
n
Rajaram
pur, (
<0.0000
Chapai ─ 0.0002 ─ ─ 0.03 ─ 0.0002 Islam et 
6 al., 200
Nawabg
onj 0
)
Mainam (
oti, 0.0031 0.0006 ─ ─ 0.001 0.053 ─ 0.001 Islam et 
Comilla al., 200
0
Deep )(
Tubwell
(0.08 ± (3.1 ± (0.19 ± (0.014 ± (1.167 ± Mostafa
of ─ (1.47 ± 0.78) ─
0.06) 0.64) 0.07) 0.01) 0.14) et al.,
Rajshah 2017
i City )
Sampling Referenc
Cr Cu Fe Mn Ni Zn Cd Pb
Location e
(
Sylhet (6.832 ± (0.281 ±
─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ Islam et a
district 6.046) 0.217) l., 2017a
)
Shallow
Tubewells
(Seddique
of Cox's
─ ─ 1.81 1.87 ─ ─ ─ ─ et al., 20
Bazar 16
paleobea )
ch area
Banglade
sh
Standard
0.05 1.00 0.30–1.00 0.1 0.10 5.00 0.005 0.05
s
(Drinking
water)
Banglade
sh
Standard (
s 0.50 0.50 2.00 5.00 1.00 5.00 0.05 0.10 DoE, 200
(Industria 8
l )
effluents)
Cation and anion concentration (mg/L)
in Bangladesh in groundwater.
Sampl
es HCO3- Refer
Na+
K+
Ca2+
Mg 2+
NH4 +
Cl -
F - NO3 -
SO42- PO42-
Locat /CO2- ences
ion
(Zahid
Chand 347.4 64.73 45.48 602.2 286.9
7.624 9.48 ─ 0.553 20.268 4.547 et al.
pur 417 3 8 13 17 , 2008
)
Sonar
gaon, (
22.74 67.99 35.45 0.082 272.5
Naray 3.578 16 1.049 ─ 1.542 3.55 Bhatt
3 2 8 2 5 achar
angan
j ya et 
al., 2
Easter 009
n (90.41 (135.3 (166.8 )
(9.14 (36.75 (23.88 (3.24 (
region ± 6± (9.1 ± 4±
± ± ± ─ ─ (11.26 ± 31.73) ± Halim
of 206.6 311.9 12.54) 123.2 et al.
12.53) 23.19) 21.78) 1.69)
Bangl 7) 6) 7) , 2010
adesh )
Sampl
es HCO3-/ Refer
Na +
K+
Ca 2+
Mg 2+
NH4 +
Cl -
F - NO3- SO42- PO42-
Locati CO2- ences
on
Hazari
(Nahar
bagh,
43.5 1.9 45 16.9 ─ 46.8 ─ 0.03 179 31.6 ─ et al.
Dhaka , 2014
city )
Rajsha
hi City (
(23.12 (5.66 (27.02 (1.60 (245.3
(Shallo (78.35 (38.76 Mostaf
± ± ± ─ (55.315 ± 9.9) ─ ± 0± ─ a
w ± 7.6) ± 5.2)
1.96) 0.57) 2.13) 0.48) 29.59) et al.
Tubwe
lls) , 2017
)
Bangla
desh
Standa (
rds 200 12 75 30–35 0.2 150–600 1 10 ─ 400 6 DPHE,
(Drinki 2018
ng )
water)
Bangla
desh
Stand
(
ards
─ ─ ─ ─ ─ 600 7–15 ─ ─ ─ ─ DoE, 2
(Indus 008
trial )
efflue
nt)
From those tables ,We found that the groundwater contamination rate is high in
Bangladesh. Here the range of some parameters is much higher and some
parameters is much less than the parameter that is supposed to be for
groundwater. Even the contamination of groundwater increasing day by day.

How Groundwater contamination by using Pesticides:

Groundwater contamination by Arsenic

Figure 1. Distribution in Bangladesh of Figure 2. Percentage of wells in

arsenic contamination in groundwater Bangladesh with arsenic
concentration exceeding 50 μg/L
Figures 1 and 2 show the distribution of arsenic concentration in Bangladesh.
Arsenic concentration exceeding the Bangladesh standard of 50 μg/L was
detected in 53 out of 61 districts and in 249 out of 433 Upazilas sampled. Of
the shallow tube wells, 27 percent contained arsenic over of 50 μg/L and 46
percent over the WHO guideline value of 10 μg/L. For the deep tube wells,
the corresponding figures were 1 percent and 5 percent, respectively. The
survey results revealed some «hot spots» of high arsenic concentration in
some of the least-contaminated regions, and it was recognized that the
sample density in the BGS/DPHE survey was not sufficient to ensure
detection of all such hot spots. An important observation from this and other
arsenic surveys is the significant variation of arsenic concentration in well
waters within short distances of each other.

Arsenic concentrations were found to be extremely patchy over small scales.

Neighboring wells within the same village were found to contain quite
different concentrations of arsenic and other water quality parameters.
Food safety in Bangladesh

With 165 million people, Bangladesh is the most densely populated

country in the world. Food contamination and exposure to food
hazards have major implications on food safety in Bangladesh. This
problem persists throughout the food chain due to food adulteration,
pesticide residues, arsenic, and microbiological contamination, among
other challenges. As Bangladesh continues to make progress in achieving
food security, food safety is more than ever vital to the rise of a healthy
population and growing economy. 
Common Food Contaminants and
Related Health Hazard
Contaminants Health hazard
Formalin: Formalin is 37% formaldehyde The harmful effects of such exposure
aqueous solution. can range from mild to life-threatening
ones.
Poisonous coloring agents like, -Damage liver & kidney
Aurmine, Rhodomine b, Malachite -Stomach cancer
green, yellow g, Allura red -Asthma and
-Bladder cancer

Cancer in kidney, liver, skin prostate

Calcium carbide
and lung
-Convulsion
Rye flour
-Miscarriage

Hormone Infertility of women

-Damage of kidney & nervous system
Urea
-Respiratory problem
Contaminants Health hazard
Sulfuric acid Damage cardiac system
DDT(It is a widely used insecticide, It Long-term exposure to DDT may affect
can enter into the body as food the liver.
adulterants) Short-term exposure to DDT in food may
have a harmful effect on reproduction.
Oral exposure to DDT can cause liver
cancer

Melamine Toxicity of Melamine: Chronic

exposure may cause cancer or
reproductive damage. Eye, skin, and
respiratory irritant
Brick dust Respiratory problem
Excessive use of pesticide affects food
safety in Bangladesh
 widespread use of agrochemicals to increase crop yield and reduce
postharvest losses, they are detected in various environmental matrices (soil,
water and, air) as well as they leave residues in food and thereby produce
adverse effects when the concentration exceeds the maximum residue limit
(MRL). The increased use of these chemicals may show negative effects on
the quality of soils and food also.
 When entering into the soil, pesticides may be taken up by plant roots and
have the potential to cause toxicity to plants, their products and contaminate
the food chain.
 As a result of excessive use of pesticides, the fertility of the land is being lost
and as a result, crops are no longer growing in that land. It is affecting food
safety in Bangladesh badly.
Future Food safety, Supply Challenges and
Opportunity in Bangladesh

 If negative impacts on the economy of Bangladesh happens, the agriculture sector may
also be adversely affected and it finally affect our food security.
 The fertility of the land is expected to decline and one percent of crop GDP will be lost
every year. Sustainable land management is a major challenge for now and also in the
future
 Key challenges to agricultural growth in the country include water, resources, land area
constraints, soil degradation and, climate change rapidly growing, increasingly urbanized
and, more affluent population with changing tastes. These challenges will require a new
idea of how domestic food security goals can be met while sustaining an increasingly
fragile environment and a large population dependent on agriculture for livelihoods.
 Waste supervision rising crisis almost all municipal areas. The pace of urbanization, rural-
urban migration, changing consumption outline and, high population growth rate growing
quickly. As a result, Leaching (Polluting Ground& Surface Water), increasing Methane
gas, Green House gas in the air and Vermin (Spreading more than 40 Diseases). Finally-
Polluting air, water, soil and, we will lose sustainability that impacts on Food Security
Conclusion
Heavy metal contamination, pesticide contamination of groundwater sources is
the most prospective menace for the people of Bangladesh. Among the heavy
metals, Arsenic is found in groundwater at an alarming rate all over the country.
A high level of iron, chromium, nickel, and lead is also worrying. Lack of proper
monitoring, laws implementation, adequate human resources as well as lack of
modern treatment plants and water supply systems, and poor awareness and
education about water use and safety are the main prompt of groundwater
pollution in Bangladesh.
The challenge of feeding a growing population is framed in terms of the need to
increase food production 70% more by 2050. Sustainable use of land, water,
energy is requiring because those will become scarcer in the future for food
safety in Bangladesh. We need some more scientific research to increase
investment to sustain productivity growth in technology, infrastructure and
institutions, environmental services and, sustainable resource management.
Reference
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er?qt-science_center_objects=0
#
British Geological Survey (BGS) and Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE).
2001. Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh. Final report (February 2001).
Dhaka: British Geological Survey and Department of Public Health Engineering.
Bangladesh Arsenic Mitigation Water Supply Project (BAMWSP). 2005. Bangladesh Arsenic
Water Supply Project Web site:www.bamwsp.org.
Risks from food and drink from dkl, Houston County Health Department.
K. Kannan, S. Tanabe, A. Ramesh, A. Subramanian and R. Tatsukawa, Persistent
orgnochlorine residues in food stuffs from India and their implications on human dietary
exposure, J. Agric. Food. Chem., 40, 518–524 (1992).
Lakshmi, Pesticides in India: risk assessment to aquatic ecosystems, Sci Total Environ.,
134, 243–253 (1993).
FAO Bangladesh (2013) Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition
http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/bangladesh/ home/in-focus/in-focus-list/detail/en/?uid
=203367