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FATE OF ARSENIC IN THE ENVIRONMENT 5-6 February 2003 Dhaka, Bangladesh BACKGROUND Arsenic in groundwater and its fate and transport in the environment have become matters of great concern in Bangladesh, India and several other countries in the South and Southeast Asian region. Current estimates of people in Bangladesh exposed to high arsenic-contaminated water vary from 25 to 30 million; over 6 million people are estimated to be exposed in West Bengal, India. In Bangladesh, tubewell water extracted from shallow aquifers is the primary source of drinking/cooking water for most of its population. An estimated 7.5 to 8.0 million hand-tubewells constitute the backbone of the rural water supply in Bangladesh. The urban water supply is also heavily dependent on groundwater. Besides domestic use, huge quantities of water from shallow aquifer are also used for irrigation during the dry season. Since its detection in late 1993 in Bangladesh, much of the research works on arsenic have focused on its presence in and exposure through drinking/cooking water, and its removal technologies. However, widespread use of groundwater for irrigation suggests that ingestion of irrigated crops could be another major exposure route for arsenic. Besides, phytoxicity due to increased arsenic in soil/water and its long-term impact on agricultural yield is another major concern. Besides naturally occurring arsenic, arsenic-rich wastes generated from a wide range of arsenic removal systems are another cause of concern. In the absence of any clear guideline for safe disposal, such wastes are often disposed in the open environment. The leaching and pollution potential of these wastes need to be clearly understood in order to devise safe disposal options. The dependency on groundwater for public water supplies and irrigation results in a huge quantity of arsenic being cycled through the environment each year with major implications on public health and environment. After dealing with the arsenic crisis for about a decade, there is also a need to re-evaluate overall policy options for determining future course of action. This symposium is intended as a forum for deliberation and discussion on issues pertinent to fate of arsenic in the environment and overall policy issues related to the management of arsenic crisis. OBJECTIVES OF THE SYMPOSIUM
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh and United Nations University (UNU), Tokyo, Japan will jointly organize the workshop. The symposium will be supported by International Training Network (ITN) - Bangladesh Center for Water Supply and Waste Management of BUET and Environment and Sustainable Development (ESD) Program of UNU. VENUE Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM 5 February 2003: Wednesday 10:00 - 11:00 Formal Opening of the Workshop 11:00 - 11:30 Tea Break 11:30 - 01:00 Technical Session I 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch Break 14:00 - 17:00 Technical Session II 17:00 - 17:30 Tea Break 6 February 2003: Thursday 09:00 - 11:00 Technical Session III 11:00 - 11:30 Tea Break 11:30 - 12:30 Technical Session IV 12:30 - 14:30 Lunch Break 14:30 - 17:00 Concluding Session REGISTRATION The participants are required to have their names registered to attend the symposium. There is no registration fee for participants. The participants will receive a complimentary copy of the symposium publication "Fate of Arsenic in the Environment" containing the selected papers. Please send the completed registration form to the contact address with a one page CV. Selected participants and authors of accepted papers will be invited for participation in the symposium. CALL FOR PAPERS Technical papers on fate of arsenic in the environment, including its presence and impact on food chain, and on overall policy issues for management of arsenic crisis are invited for the workshop. The selected papers will be presented by the authors and discussed in the symposium. Full papers not exceeding 12 - 15 pages (single space, A4 size ) including figures and tables should reach the organizers before 15 December 2002. The authors may send the complete paper as a hard copy with a computer diskette containing the paper by post or as an e-mail attached file to ashraf@bdcom.com or itn@agni.com or Adeel@hq.unu.edu. The organizers may consider funding the participation of few authors of high quality papers and case studies from developing countries. All selected papers and case studies will be published in "Fate of Arsenic in the Environment" and distributed during the symposium. CONTACT ADDRESSES Professor M. Feroze Ahmed Department of Civil Engineering, BUET, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh Telephones : (880-2) 9663693 (o); (880-2) 861 0366 (r) Facsimile : (880-2) 9663695 E-mail : itn@agni.com Dr. M. Ashraf Ali Department of Civil Engineering BUET, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh Telephone : (880-2)8614640/7625 (o) Facsimile : (880-2)8613026 E-mail : ashraf@bdcom.com Dr. Zafar Adeel Academic Programme Officer Environment and Sustainable Development The United Nations University (UNU) 5-53-70 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku Tokyo, Japan 150-8925 Telephone : + 81 3 3499 2811 Facsimile : +81 3 3406 7347 E-mail : esd@hq.unu.edu REGISTRATION (Please send the following Information) 1. Name : 2. Designation : 3. Contact Address: Telephone : Fax : E-mail Address : 4. Title of Paper (for Authors only) : 5. Work Experience in the Field of Arsenic Problem: |
