EARTH MATTERS can be heard on 3CR in Melbourne Sunday 11am, 2XX Canberra Tuesday 10am, 8CCC Alice Springs Sundays between 8-9pm, 2NCR Lismore Friday 10am, 5UV Adelaide Thursday 2pm, 7LTN Launceston Monday 7:30pm, 2VOX Wollongong between 9-10am & much more!! Earth Matters Program 84a Juliet Fox 3CR Community Radio 03 9419 8377 ComRadSat Program 1/10/1999 CUE SHEET INTRO : "Hello and welcome to ..." OUTRO : "... see you later." DURATION : 27'10" (frogs til around 28'10") Arsenic contaminated groundwater in Bangladesh Today on Earth Matters we visit the village of Nillkhanda (sp?) in Bangladesh to discuss and explore the issue of arsenic poisoning. Arsenic is found in the groundwater of around 65% of Bangladesh and it currently threatens the health of some 70 million people throughout Bangladesh. Arsenic is believed to be naturally occurring in the earth's crust throughout Bangladesh, yet with the massive use of groundwater some of the underground rock has been exposed to oxygen. For arsenic, oxidisation means that it becomes water soluble. Arsenic is toxic and carcinogenic, and already 7000 people have been diagnosed with arsenic poisoning and an unknown number have died. Just last week Earth Matters spoke with Dr Hasina Momotaj, Research Officer with the Arsenic Project, Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on a visit to an affected village. Today we join Dr Hasina at Nillkhanda where she describes the present situation. It is through tube wells that the people access the groundwater, and at Nillkhanda only one tube well out of 42 is arsenic free. We also hear from a 4 year old girl suffering some of the symptoms of arsenic poisoning, and from an older man who also tells us about the range of people who consistently come and try and sell him cures and remedies. -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink