Field surveys

The team went on field surveys at two places in the very locality of the IISER Kolkata campus. The aim of these surveys were:

1. Collecting water samples from the public water supply sources and test arsenic concentration therein.
2. Meeting and asking local people if they do encounter symptoms of chronic arsenic poisoning.
3. Understanding the problem of water contamination and available measures taken by the government bodies and people.

Two villages Dalaipur and 16 Number Settlements were surveyed. Water samples were collected from the government installed as well as personal hand-pumps.

Collecting sample from a hand pump at Dalaipur

Collecting water sample from a hand pump at 16 number settlement

The samples were forwarded to the lab of Dr. Raja Shunmugam who used ICP-MS technique to measure concentration of arsenic species in water.
The results from these field surveys are summed up below:

1. People seem to be unaware of the exact contaminant spoiling their waters and only have a vague notion that the water they drink and use for daily chores has a poor quality.
2. They do not know that symptoms like skin lesions and hair fall are connected to the high level of arsenic in the water they use.
3. Government has installed public hand-pumps in every settlement. These public pumps usually penetrate deeper into the ground deliver water with lower arsenic concentrations.
4. However, negligence in maintenance of public pumps etc. causes people to install their own personal hand-pumps in backyards of their homes that do not reach high depths. As a result, more contaminated poor quality water is consumed by people.
5. Hair loss seemed to be a common complaint of the local people with more elder residents showing the signs of hyperpigmentation of skin and nails, lesions etc. due to longer exposure to contaminated water.