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Earth Matters
Program 84a
Juliet Fox
3CR Community Radio
03 9419 8377
ComRadSat Program 1/10/1999
CUE SHEET
INTRO : "Hello and welcome to ..."
OUTRO : "... see you later."
DURATION : 27'10" (frogs til around 28'10")
Arsenic contaminated groundwater in Bangladesh
Today on Earth Matters we visit the village of Nillkhanda (sp?) in
Bangladesh to discuss and explore the issue of arsenic poisoning. Arsenic
is found in the groundwater of around 65% of Bangladesh and it currently
threatens the health of some 70 million people throughout Bangladesh.
Arsenic is believed to be naturally occurring in the earth's crust
throughout Bangladesh, yet with the massive use of groundwater some of the
underground rock has been exposed to oxygen. For arsenic, oxidisation means
that it becomes water soluble. Arsenic is toxic and carcinogenic, and
already 7000 people have been diagnosed with arsenic poisoning and an
unknown number have died.
Just last week Earth Matters spoke with Dr Hasina Momotaj, Research Officer
with the Arsenic Project, Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,
on a visit to an affected village. Today we join Dr Hasina at Nillkhanda
where she describes the present situation. It is through tube wells that
the people access the groundwater, and at Nillkhanda only one tube well out
of 42 is arsenic free.
We also hear from a 4 year old girl suffering some of the symptoms of
arsenic poisoning, and from an older man who also tells us about the range
of people who consistently come and try and sell him cures and remedies.
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