Skip navigation
Skip navigation

Enhancing arsenic mitigation in Bangladesh: Findings from institutional, psychological, and technical investigations

Johnston, Richard; Hug, Stephan J.; Inauen, Jennifer; Khan, Nasreen Islam; Mosler, Hans-Joachim; Yang, H.

Description

As part of a trans-disciplinary research project, a series of surveys and interventions were conducted in different arsenic-affected regions of rural Bangladesh. Surveys of institutional stakeholders identified deep tubewells and piped water systems as the most preferred options, and the same preferences were found in household surveys of populations at risk. Psychological surveys revealed that these two technologies were well-supported by potential users, with self-efficacy and social norms...[Show more]

dc.contributor.authorJohnston, Richard
dc.contributor.authorHug, Stephan J.
dc.contributor.authorInauen, Jennifer
dc.contributor.authorKhan, Nasreen Islam
dc.contributor.authorMosler, Hans-Joachim
dc.contributor.authorYang, H.
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-10T23:15:46Z
dc.identifier.issn0048-9697
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/64785
dc.description.abstractAs part of a trans-disciplinary research project, a series of surveys and interventions were conducted in different arsenic-affected regions of rural Bangladesh. Surveys of institutional stakeholders identified deep tubewells and piped water systems as the most preferred options, and the same preferences were found in household surveys of populations at risk. Psychological surveys revealed that these two technologies were well-supported by potential users, with self-efficacy and social norms being the principal factors driving behavior change. The principal drawbacks of deep tubewells are that installation costs are too high for most families to own private wells, and that for various socio-cultural-religious reasons, people are not willing to walk long distances to access communal tubewells. In addition, water sector planners have reservations about greater exploitation of the deep aquifer, out of concern for current or future geogenic contamination. Groundwater models and field studies have shown that in the great majority of the affected areas, the risk of arsenic contamination of deep groundwater is small; salinity, iron, and manganese are more likely to pose problems. These constituents can in some cases be avoided by exploiting an intermediate depth aquifer of good chemical quality, which is hydraulically and geochemically separate from the arsenic-contaminated shallow aquifer. Deep tubewells represent a technically sound option throughout much of the arsenic-affected regions, and future mitigation programs should build on and accelerate construction of deep tubewells. Utilization of deep tubewells, however, could be improved by increasing the tubewell density (which requires stronger financial support) to reduce travel times, by considering water quality in a holistic way, and by accompanying tubewell installation with motivational interventions based on psychological factors. By combining findings from technical and social sciences, the efficiency and success of arsenic mitigation in general - and installation of deep tubewells in particular - can be significantly enhanced.
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.sourceScience of the Total Environment
dc.titleEnhancing arsenic mitigation in Bangladesh: Findings from institutional, psychological, and technical investigations
dc.typeJournal article
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.identifier.citationvolume488-489
dc.date.issued2014
local.identifier.absfor050205 - Environmental Management
local.identifier.ariespublicationu4279067xPUB998
local.type.statusPublished Version
local.contributor.affiliationJohnston, Richard, Eawag
local.contributor.affiliationHug, Stephan J., Eawag
local.contributor.affiliationInauen, Jennifer, University of Zurich
local.contributor.affiliationKhan, Nasreen Islam, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
local.contributor.affiliationMosler, Hans-Joachim, Eawag
local.contributor.affiliationYang, H., Eawag
local.description.embargo2037-12-31
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage477
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage483
local.identifier.doi10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.11.143
local.identifier.absseo960609 - Sustainability Indicators
local.identifier.absseo960703 - Environmental Education and Awareness
local.identifier.absseo960608 - Rural Water Evaluation (incl. Water Quality)
dc.date.updated2015-12-10T09:47:28Z
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-84901650760
local.identifier.thomsonID000338600800053
CollectionsANU Research Publications

Download

File Description SizeFormat Image
01_Johnston_Enhancing_arsenic_mitigation_2014.pdf158.44 kBAdobe PDFThumbnail
02_Johnston_Enhancing_arsenic_mitigation_2014.pdf159.85 kBAdobe PDFThumbnail


Items in Open Research are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Updated:  17 November 2022/ Responsible Officer:  University Librarian/ Page Contact:  Library Systems & Web Coordinator