Specialized Course on Arsenic Contamination in Bangladesh
Arsenic contamination has been recognized as a major public health concern in Bangladesh. Groundwater extracted by shallow tube wells from arsenic contaminated aquifers in the affected areas of Bangladesh can no longer be considered safe for drinking and cooking purposes. On an average, 27% of shallow tube wells of Bangladesh are producing water with arsenic in excess of 0.05 mg/l which is the limiting value for drinking water in Bangladesh Standard. Arsenic problem has reduced the national population coverage of safe water supply from 97% to 74%. In acute arsenic affected areas more than 90% of shallow tube wells are contaminated. The high concentration of arsenic in groundwater has magnified the risk of adverse health effects. About 29 million people are drinking tube well water with arsenic content higher than the acceptable level of Bangladesh Standard value and about 46 million people drinking water with arsenic in excess of WHO Guideline value. The estimated total number of excess lifetime skin cancer risk at the present level of arsenic contamination of groundwater is around 400,000 in Bangladesh. More than 15,000 people have so far been identified to be affected by arsenic poisoning. Bangladesh has to mobilize massive effort to reduce high risk associated with ingestion of arsenic through contaminated water in which the need for qualified personnel cannot be over emphasized.
In this backdrop, International Training Network (ITN) centre organized its first training on Arsenic Problems and De-arsination of Water for the professionals during 9-12 August, 1997. Since then, a lot of efforts were put to understand and mitigate the problem, which resulted in the expansion of the sphere of knowledge in the field of arsenic contamination. In response to a high demand of the sector, a number of specialized courses have already been undertaken. As a matter of continuation, ITN has been striving to impart quality training to update the knowledge and skills of the professionals working in the field of arsenic contamination.
The main objectives of this training course are to:
- To expand the knowledge base to understand the causes, magnitude, environmental consequences and health effects of arsenic contamination of groundwater;
- To update the technological development in arsenic mitigation;
- To provide practical training on arsenic detection and measurement in groundwater and analysis of test results;
- To enhance the knowledge and skills of the professionals for better understanding and management of arsenic problems.
This is a specialized course to impart knowledge and skills to address arsenic problems in Bangladesh. The course is designed for professionals working in the field of arsenic mitigation. The participants are required to be graduates with some knowledge of chemistry. The professionals with practical work experience in arsenic problem areas are encouraged to attend the course.
The one week long course covers the following areas:
Theoretical
Practical
- Arsenic Problem: World-wide Scenario
- Environmental Chemistry of Arsenic
- Fate of Arsenic in the Environment
- Hydrogeology and Arsenic Contamination
- Standards for Arsenic and Guideline Values
- Health Effects of Arsenic Contamination of Water
- Causes and Magnitude of the Problem in Bangladesh
- Arsenic in the Food Chain
- Social Aspects of Arsenic Contamination
- Arsenic Measurement by Laboratory and Field-test Kits Methods
- Treatment of arsenic contaminated water
- Arsenic Mitigation Programs in Bangladesh
- Quantitative Health Risk Assessment (QHRA)
- Policy dimensions of arsenic issues in Bangladesh
- Arsenic Mitigation: Practical Experience by Field Visit
- Arsenic Measurement by AAS-GF, SDDC and Field Kits
- Group Work on Arsenic Mitigation Program
ITN Center’s Resource Pool comprising of academicians, researchers and professionals having long experience in the field of arsenic will provide expertise services during the course.
Persons interested to undertake the course are required to register their names to the ITN Centre. Registration form is available online. The number of seats is limited and registration shall be on a first-come first-serve basis.
To fill up the online application form click here.
To download application form click here.
A registration fee as per advertisement needs to be paid along with the registration form in the form of Account Payee Cheque/Bank draft/Cash.
Registration fee covers the following:
Course Materials, Notes & Hand-outs, Lunch and refreshments, Certificate from ITN-BUET.
ITN-BUET
ARI-ITN Building (4th & 5th floor)
BUET, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
Phone: +88 02 9663693 (direct); 9665650-80, Ext. 7104
Fax: +88 02 9663695
E-mail: itnoffice@itn.buet.ac.bd
diritn@itn.buet.ac.bd
Website: http://www.buet.ac.bd