Determination and Mitigation of Arsenic in Drinking Water of Barind Region in Bangladesh

M. A. Mottaleb¹, M. S. Uddin¹, M. A. Mannan¹, M. N. Islam¹ and M. Jesmin²

1Department of Chemistry, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi - 6205, Bangladesh. 2epartment of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi - 6205, Bangladesh.

The concentration of arsenic In drinking water was determined. Thirty-five water samples collected from the hand and deep tube-wells in different locations of Barind Region were considered in this investigation. In most of the samples, the concentration of arsenic was found to be present in admissible limit, below 0.05 ppm. However, the samples obtained from the locations of Satrajitpur, Moharajpur and Mohisbathan were arsenic polluted and the concentration of arsenic found in those samples were 0.05, 0.28 and 0.55 ppm, respectively. In order to mitigate the arsenic in drinking water, different concentrations of commercial alum were employed and ft was found that 0.1 g/L alum could be satisfactorily used to change arsenic contaminated water to normal drinking water. The pH and conductivity of the water samples were within the admissible limits.

arsenic; mitigate; conductivity; pH