High arsenic contamination in drinking water hand-pumps in Khap Tola, West Champaran, Bihar, India

*Correspondence: Siddharth Bhatia, Jamsetji Tata Centre for Disaster Management, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Malti and Jal A. D. Naoroji Campus (Annex), PO Box No. 8313, Deonar, Mumbai 400 088, India e-mail: [email protected] This study tests the drinking water supply of a marginalized village community of Khap Tola in the state of Bihar, a state in Northern India. Based on hand pump drinking water sample testing and analysis, we found that there was high levels of arsenic (maximum value being 397 ppb), in excess of the WHO limits of 10ppb. Analysis showed 57% of the samples from private hand-pumps in the shallow aquifer zone of 15–35m have arsenic greater than 200 ppb. Using GIS overlay analysis technique it was calculated that 25% of the residential area in the village is under high risk of arsenic contamination. Further using USEPA guidelines, it was calculated that children age group 5–10 years are under high risk of getting cancer. The Hazard Quotient calculated for 21 children taken for study, indicated that children may have adverse non-carcinogenic health impacts, in the future, with continued exposure. Since the area adds a new arsenic contaminated place in India, further geochemical analysis and health assessment needs to be done in this district of West Champaran in, Bihar.