AccScience Publishing / AJWEP / Volume 8 / Issue 2 / DOI: 10.3233/AJW-2011-8_2_08
RESEARCH ARTICLE

GIS Mapping of Correlation between Arsenic and Iron Concentration of Ground Water of Bangladesh

Fahim Nawroz Tonmoy1* Md. Mafizur Rahman2 Hidetoshi Kitawaki3
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1 University of Sydney, School of Civil Engineering, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia
2 Department of Civil Engineering University of Engineering and Technology Dhaka - 1000, Bangladesh
3 Faculty of Regional Development Studies, Toyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino Itakuramachi, Gumma 374-0193, Japan
AJWEP 2011, 8(2), 61–70; https://doi.org/10.3233/AJW-2011-8_2_08
Submitted: 28 February 2009 | Accepted: 10 September 2010 | Published: 1 January 2011
© 2011 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
Abstract

High iron concentration in the groundwater of Bangladesh was observed long ago. Existence of high arsenic concentration was observed in early 1990s. Determining iron concentration is cheaper and some indigenous methods are applied locally for such a purpose. Determining concentration of arsenic is more expensive and a relatively new issue even though the measurement is very important from monitoring point. The correlation between these two will ensure the possibility of simple and cheaper option for monitoring arsenic concentration from that of the iron concentration. This made the correlation analysis between arsenic and iron concentration of ground water more rational. In this study, data of 4367 wells were categorized for analysis as per geographic location in 61 administrative districts of Bangladesh. Results were compared with the results of analysis performed without categorizing data as per geographic locations. It is evident from the study that correlation between arsenic and iron concentration of ground water is not constant nationwide, rather it is a zonal phenomenon. Geographic Information Sustem (GIS) maps were produced with the correlation analysis data which represents the correlation status of each individual district of Bangladesh. Outcome of this study reveals that a zone or belt of a region can be observed within a band of similar correlation coefficient. From the analysis and produced GIS (Geographic Information System) maps it was observed that 50.4% districts of Bangladesh showed correlation coefficient in excess of 0.4 and 37% districts show correlation coefficient in excess of 0.5.In the eastern part of Bangladesh a belt of very low correlation was observed. The produced GIS maps and the study results enable to predict tentatively or statistically the arsenic concentration of a well by only knowing the iron concentration of the same well. This will help in reducing the need and thus cost for frequent measurement of arsenic in many areas where high correlation of the two is observed and reported.

Keywords
GIS mapping
correlation
arsenic
iron
contamination
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
References

BGS–DPHE (2001). Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh, BGS Technical Report, WC/00/19.

DoE (1991). Environmental Quality Standard for Bangladesh, Department of Environrnent.

DoE (1997). Environmental Quality Standard for Bangladesh, Department of Environment.

Karim Md. Masud (2000). Arsenic in Groundwater and health problems in Bangladesh. Water Research, 34(1): 304–310.

WHO (1993). “Guidelines for drinking water quality”, Volume 1: Recommendations, 2nd edn, Geneva, Switzerland: WHO. 39–57, 174.

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Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, Electronic ISSN: 1875-8568 Print ISSN: 0972-9860, Published by AccScience Publishing