Arsenic is a grayish-white element which forms a poisonous compound when heated some areas in the world including West-Bengal, Bangladesh, Hungary, New Zealand and Thailand have heavy concentration of this element which when remaining under deep water is relatively harmless. But if it comes into direct contact of sun it volatalises and forms the noxious compound. This compound taken unknowingly with water causes serious skin diseases including cancer. The layer of iron sulphide abounds in arsenic when sunk in water it is not harmful. But when the water layer goes down and the iron sulphide layer comes into contact with oxygen it becomes highly damaging. Arsenic is also found in factory affluents, garbage and insecticides used in agriculture- all of which pollutes the air and water if proper precautions is not taken. Arsenic infection is initially difficult to detect. Patients suffer from cough and feel weakness. In advanced stages arsenic infection leads to cavatolene gangrene and skin cancer. Fatal result of arsenic poisoning have also been reported. Towards the eighties of the last century only a few cases of arsenic poisoning was reported in west Bengal. But by 2005 the number of arsenic infection has gone up to a million or more. It is not east to surver all areas which are potentially arsenic prone. The only safeguard against the danger is to drink pond and canal water after purification instead of water from wells. It is the duty of local bodies like the panchayats to determine with the health Dept. to conduct a survey of the regions and make the people conscious of the dangers of arsenic poisoning and its remedies.
