One Solution to the Arsenic Problem: A Return to Surface (Improved Dug) Wells

Arsenic contamination in drinking-water in Bangladesh is a major catastrophe, the consequences of which exceed most other man-made disasters. The national policy encourages the use of surface water as much as possible without encountering the problems of sanitation that led to the use of groundwater in the first place. This paper describes the success of the Dhaka Community Hospital (DCH) team and the procedure in implementing sanitary, arsenic-free, dugwells. The capital cost for running water is US$ 5-6 per person. Sixty-six sanitary dugwells were installed in phases between 2000 and 2004 in Pabna district of Bangladesh where there was a great need of safe water because, in some villages, 90% of tubewells were highly contaminated with arsenic. In total, 1,549 families now have access to safe arsenic-free dugwell water. Some of them have a water-pipe up to their kitchen. All of these were implemented with active participation of community members. They also pay for water-use and are themselves responsible for the maintenance and water quality. The DCH helped the community with installation and maintenance protocol and also with monitoring water quality. The bacteria levels are low but not always zero, and studies are in progress to reduce bacteria by chlorination.Physic

One Solution to the Arsenic Problem: A Return to Surface (Improved Dug) Wells

Arsenic contamination in drinking-water in Bangladesh is a major catastrophe, the consequences of which exceed most other man-made disasters. The national policy encourages the use of surface water as much as possible without encountering the problems of sanitation that led to the use of groundwater in the first place. This paper describes the success of the Dhaka Community Hospital (DCH) team and the procedure in implementing sanitary, arsenic-free, dugwells. The capital cost for running water is US$ 5–6 per person. Sixty-six sanitary dugwells were installed in phases between 2000 and 2004 in Pabna district of Bangladesh where there was a great need of safe water because, in some villages, 90% of tubewells were highly contaminated with arsenic. In total, 1,549 families now have access to safe arsenic-free dugwell water. Some of them have a water-pipe up to their kitchen. All of these were implemented with active participation of community members. They also pay for water-use and are themselves responsible for the maintenance and water quality. The DCH helped the community with installation and maintenance protocol and also with monitoring water quality. The bacteria levels are low but not always zero, and studies are in progress to reduce bacteria by chlorination

Prenatal Arsenic Exposure and DNA Methylation in Maternal and Umbilical Cord Blood Leukocytes

Background: Arsenic is an epigenetic toxicant and could influence fetal developmental programming. Objectives: We evaluated the association between arsenic exposure and DNA methylation in maternal and umbilical cord leukocytes. Methods: Drinking-water and urine samples were collected when women were at ≤ 28 weeks gestation; the samples were analyzed for arsenic using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. DNA methylation at CpG sites in p16 (n = 7) and p53 (n = 4), and in LINE-1 and Alu repetitive elements (3 CpG sites in each), was quantified using pyrosequencing in 113 pairs of maternal and umbilical blood samples. We used general linear models to evaluate the relationship between DNA methylation and tertiles of arsenic exposure. Results: Mean (± SD) drinking-water arsenic concentration was 14.8 ± 36.2 μg/L (range: < 1–230 μg/L). Methylation in LINE-1 increased by 1.36% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.52, 2.21%] and 1.08% (95% CI: 0.07, 2.10%) in umbilical cord and maternal leukocytes, respectively, in association with the highest versus lowest tertile of total urinary arsenic per gram creatinine. Arsenic exposure was also associated with higher methylation of some of the tested CpG sites in the promoter region of p16 in umbilical cord and maternal leukocytes. No associations were observed for Alu or p53 methylation. Conclusions: Exposure to higher levels of arsenic was positively associated with DNA methylation in LINE-1 repeated elements, and to a lesser degree at CpG sites within the promoter region of the tumor suppressor gene :p16. Associations were observed in both maternal and fetal leukocytes. Future research is needed to confirm these results and determine if these small increases in methylation are associated with any health effects

Responses of seed germination, seedling growth under salinity stresses and variability for phenotypic traits in Tossa Jute (Corchorus olitorius L.)

Salinity is a serious abiotic stress to Jute and other crop cultivation at saline regions in the world. No salt tolerant Tossa Jute (Corchorus olitorius L.) variety was developed in Bangladesh. Hence, six Tossa Jute accessions were investigated at germination stage against six concentration levels (0.00 or d.H2O, 8.0, 10.0, 12.0, 14.0 and 16.0 dS m-1) of salt (NaCl) using RCB design at Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI) during March-July, 2020. Jute seeds collected from Gene Bank of BJRI were allowed to germinate under laboratory condition. Seed germination rate was adversely affected as well as delay in germination was prolonged with increasing the salt concentration. In control, seeds were germinated up to 14.0 dS m-1 salt solution. Among six genotypes, Acc. 1141 and Acc. 3801 showed the highest germination rate (86.67 %); Acc. 3801 gave maximum root length (17.0 mm), dry biomass (6.37 mg); and Acc. 1089 showed higher shoot length (10.0 mm), fresh weight (43.93 mg) and salt tolerance index (60.69 %) under 14.0 dS m-1 level. Higher relative salt harm rate (7.14 %) was observed in both Acc. 1141 and Acc. 3801 under 14.0 dS m-1 salinity indicating highly tolerance to salinity. Acc. 3801 and Acc. 1141 were found good for germination under salt stresses; Acc. 3801, Acc. 1089 for fiber yield and salt tolerance; Acc. 3801 and Acc. 1407 for higher fiber yield. Acc. 3801 was found good for salt tolerance and fiber yield content. The genotypes with good desirable characters would be used as breeding materials to develop high yielding salt tolerant Tossa Jute variety

Appraisal of resistant genotypes against brinjal shoot and fruit borer (BSFB), Leucinodes orbonalis, Guenee

The main purpose of this study was to find out the best variety of brinjal having resistance to BSFB. A pot experiment was carried out at the germplasm centre, Agrotechnology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna during February 2014 to August 2014. The experiment was laid out in CRD using thirteen varieties with five replications. The varieties were V1=BARI begun-1, V2=BARI begun-4, V3=BARI begun-5, V4=BARI begun-6, V5=BARI begun-7, V6=BARI begun-8, V7=BARI begun-9, V8=BARI begun-10, V9=Makra, V10=Muktokashi, V11=Lalita, V12=Hazra, V13=Chaga. Data were collected on total number of shoot, total number of infested shoot, percentage of shoot damage, percentage of shoot infestation reduction, numbers of larvae per infested shoot, total number of fruit, percentage of fruit damage, percentage of fruit infestation reduction, numbers of larvae per infested fruit. Results have shown that the minimum shoot infestation was found in BARI begun-6 (29.60%, 32.40%, 29.86% and 29.38%, respectively at four different stages of eggplant). Percent of fruit infestation was minimum in V4 (BARI begun-6) (25.16%, 27.42% and 25.40% at three stages respectively)

A prospective cohort study of the association between drinking water arsenic exposure and self-reported maternal health symptoms during pregnancy in Bangladesh

Background: Arsenic, a common groundwater pollutant, is associated with adverse reproductive health but few studies have examined its effect on maternal health. Methods: A prospective cohort was recruited in Bangladesh from 2008–2011 (N = 1,458). At enrollment (<16 weeks gestational age [WGA]), arsenic was measured in personal drinking water using inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Questionnaires collected health data at enrollment, at 28 WGA, and within one month of delivery. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for self-reported health symptoms were estimated for each arsenic quartile using logistic regression. Results: Overall, the mean concentration of arsenic was 38 μg/L (Standard deviation, 92.7 μg/L). A total of 795 women reported one or more of the following symptoms during pregnancy (cold/flu/infection, nausea/vomiting, abdominal cramping, headache, vaginal bleeding, or swollen ankles). Compared to participants exposed to the lowest quartile of arsenic (≤0.9 μg/L), the aOR for reporting any symptom during pregnancy was 0.62 (95% CI = 0.44-0.88) in the second quartile, 1.83 (95% CI = 1.25-2.69) in the third quartile, and 2.11 (95% CI = 1.42-3.13) in the fourth quartile where the mean arsenic concentration in each quartile was 1.5 μg/L, 12.0 μg/L and 144.7 μg/L, respectively. Upon examining individual symptoms, only nausea/vomiting and abdominal cramping showed consistent associations with arsenic exposure. The odds of self-reported nausea/vomiting was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.68, 1.41), 1.52 (95% CI: 1.05, 2.18), and 1.81 (95% CI: 1.26, 2.60) in the second, third and fourth quartile of arsenic relative to the lowest quartile after adjusting for age, body mass index, second-hand tobacco smoke exposure, educational status, parity, anemia, ferritin, medication usage, type of sanitation at home, and household income. A positive trend was also observed for abdominal cramping (P for trend <0.0001). A marginal negative association was observed between arsenic quartiles and odds of self-reported cold/flu/infection (P for trend = 0.08). No association was observed between arsenic and self-reported headache (P for trend = 0.19). Conclusion: Moderate exposure to arsenic contaminated drinking water early in pregnancy was associated with increased odds of experiencing nausea/vomiting and abdominal cramping. Preventing exposure to arsenic contaminated drinking water during pregnancy could improve maternal health

Responses and screening of white jute (Corchorus capsularis L.) genotypes against salinity stresses

Soil salinity, a serious threat to jute cultivation in saline areas (southern parts) of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI) has developed a moderately salt tolerant White Jute variety (BJRI Deshi pat-8; BJC 2197) in 2013 which can’t grow well in saline areas having more than 8.0 dSm-1 salinity stress. Hence, 23 whitejute accessions and one control variety (BJC 2197) were tested to isolate the salt tolerant accession(s) for hybridization purpose followed by augmented design in farmers’ field having nearly 8.0-9.0 dSm-1 salinity at Patuakhali district during mid-March to mid-August 2019. The experimental plot size was 3.0 m2 (3 m × 1 m) for each genotype having 3 lines of 1.0 m length, plant-plant: 10-15 cm and line- line: 30 cm distance. Soil salinity was recorded during sowing, vegetative and plant maturity stages. In this study, the highest plant height 2.84 m was recorded in Acc. 2750 followed by Acc. 2589 (2.76 m) and Acc. 1779 (2.69 m). The highest fiber yield (9.0 g plant-1) was observed in Acc. 1779 followed by Acc. 2589 (8.40 g plant-1) and Acc. 2750 (8.0 g plant-1). The lowest plant mortality rate (2.5%) was found in Acc.2750 followed by Acc.1779 (6.24%), Acc. 1780 (7.50), Acc. 3556 (11.10%), Acc. 2589 (11.20%) and BJC 2197 (16.5%). Few seeds were germinated in Acc. 3020 and Acc. 3658 but plants were died after 20 days of sowing. Six genotypes of cluster I showed higher diversity in Euclidean cluster analysis. The Acc. 2750, Acc. 1779, Acc. 2589 of cluster I having relative salinity tolerance and good fiber yield capacity would be grown in next year for confirmation as well as hybridization with the existing salinity susceptible variety to develop high yielding white jute variety for saline areas