Arsenic contamination of groundwater has occurred in various parts of the world, most notably the Ganges Delta of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, causing serious arsenic poisoning among large numbers of people. A natural occurrence of high concentrations of arsenic in deeper levels of groundwater became a high-profile problem in recent years due to the use of deep tube wells for water supply in the Ganges Delta. Parts of Thailand, Taiwan, Argentina, Chile and China have also been affected by arsenic contamination of groundwater.
This one-day symposium will focus on two main themes: ‘Arsenic in the Dutch subsoil’ and ‘The global dimension of Arsenic in groundwater and drinking water’.