Agricultural pumping linked to arsenic

By: Erik Stokstad

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<h1>Agricultural pumping linked to arsenic</h1>
<h4>By: Erik Stokstad</h4>
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<IMG src="http://c96265.r65.cf3.rackcdn.com/2002nov_arsenic_MIT.jpg"><BR>The research team drilling a well at a<BR>field site in Munshiganj, Bangladesh.</TD></TR></TABLE>The contamination of drinking water in Bangladesh with arsenic, which causes various cancers and damage to the nervous system, may be exacerbated by the extraction of water for irrigation.<BR><BR>A study by Charles Harvey of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and colleagues, published in this week’s <em>Science</em>, finds that the heightened circulation of water caused by pumping for irrigation increases the release of arsenic into drinking water.<BR><BR>But the finding is controversial, and other experts caution that the results might not be broadly applicable.<BR><BR><a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/298/5598/1535a?ijkey=enzL9ozDlRjYo&keytype=ref&siteid=sci" target="_blank" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/tracking/external/'+this.href);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Link to <em>Science</em> news story</A><BR><BR><a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/298/5598/1602?ijkey=0h5xlwG5hEDVQ&keytype=ref&siteid=sci" target="_blank" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/tracking/external/'+this.href);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Link to paper in <em>Science</em> by Charles Harvey et al</A><BR><BR>Source: <em>Science</em>, 22 November 2002<BR><BR>Photo credit: MIT News Office</p>

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<p>This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.scidev.net" target="_blank">SciDev.Net</a>. Read the <a href="https://www.scidev.net/global/news/agricultural-pumping-linked-to-arsenic/" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>
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The research team drilling a well at a
field site in Munshiganj, Bangladesh.

The contamination of drinking water in Bangladesh with arsenic, which causes various cancers and damage to the nervous system, may be exacerbated by the extraction of water for irrigation.

A study by Charles Harvey of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and colleagues, published in this week’s Science, finds that the heightened circulation of water caused by pumping for irrigation increases the release of arsenic into drinking water.

But the finding is controversial, and other experts caution that the results might not be broadly applicable.

Link to Science news story

Link to paper in Science by Charles Harvey et al

Source: Science, 22 November 2002

Photo credit: MIT News Office