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Millions more at risk of arsenic poisoning than previously thought

BMJ 2003; 326 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.326.7387.466/d (Published 01 March 2003) Cite this as: BMJ 2003;326:466
  1. Sanjay Kumar
  1. New Delhi

    The number of people at risk of arsenic poisoning from drinking water from sunken wells may be considerably higher than previously thought, a new report from the University of Calcutta has said.

    The first cases of arsenic poisoning in the Indian subcontinent were reported in India in 1983, and it has been known for several years that half the population of Bangladesh and many residents of West Bengal state were at risk (BMJ 2000;320:822). Now the danger is thought to extend beyond these areas.

    “Almost 330 million people may be at risk in India and Bangladesh compared to 150 million as believed earlier,” says Dipankar Chakraborti of the School of Environmental Sciences, Jadavpur University, …

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