As we all know, arsenic (As) poisoning has become a major public health problem and an environmental issue in Bangladesh. Contamination of groundwater by As has been reported from many countries including Australia, Chile, China, Hungary, Mexico, Peru, Thailand, Vietnam, and USA, but the most seriously hit areas were identified to be Bangladesh and West Bengal (India). One of the most important natural misfortunes is said to be the contamination of ground water by arsenic in the deltaic region, particularly in the Gangetic alluvium of Bangladesh.

It is reported that most of the ground water, which is widely used for drinking and irrigation, is highly contaminated with As. Many research reports have been in circulation and we can cite, and possibly paraphrase a few, just to make a point. Ground water from shallow tube-wells in 60 out of 64 districts in Bangladesh has been reported to be contaminated with varying quantities of arsenic. Based on the total population of Bangladesh in 1999, it was estimated that the number of people exposed to As concentrations above 0.05 mg/L (the Bangladesh standard for acceptable limit of As) was 28-35 million, and the number of those exposed to more than 0.01 mg/L (WHO guideline value) was 46-57 million.

Until recently, the most attention -- in fact the only attention -- was given to the contamination of drinking water by As. But recent researches have pointed out that irrigation with arsenic contaminated groundwater may lead to elevated levels of arsenic in the soil. And plants grown in such soil could lead to increased levels of As in the crops, such as rice and vegetables. The findings are tentative and, to be conclusive, need to be validated with credible research, based on large samples and accurate measurements.

But the problem, if it exists, seems to be appearing at a time when: (a) most of the ground water (mostly from shallow aquifers) withdrawn in Bangladesh is utilized for agriculture; (b) to meet the growing demand for rice, shallow tube-wells are being used in the dry season for irrigating boro rice that now accounts for half of the total rice production and (c) on an average, a Bangladeshi adult drinks about 4 liters of water a day and consumes about 450 grams of rice. Assuming that water and rice have 0.05ppm and 0.5ppm arsenic respectively, the dietary intake from water and rice would be 380ug (200 from water and 180 from rice). This is about double the FAO/WHO limit of dietary intake of arsenic. This does not take into account the arsenic intake from other sources such as leafy vegetables, meat and milk, since the animals feed on rice straw which may also be contaminated with As.

In a nationwide survey, conducted by various Bangladeshi and international institutions, it was found that the concentration of arsenic in rice grains varied between 0.04ppm to 1.1ppm. About one-fifth of the rice grain samples had arsenic levels greater than 0.5ppm. In another survey, with limited sample, the CIMMYT in Bangladesh found that BRRI Dhan-29, the most popular rice variety grown in the dry season with ground water irrigation, contains the highest amount of As. That ground water irrigation is the villain of the piece has not yet been proved conclusively. The concentration of shallow tube wells is the highest in the northwestern region where the As contamination of ground water is low, while in the Faridpur and the Noakhali regions, where the As contamination is very high, the major source of irrigation is surface water.

In any case, we wonder whether our policy makers are aware of the devastation looming large on our horizon if the rice grains get contaminated with As. It would be judicious on the part of the policy makers to initiate a country-wide study on arsenic contamination in rice, and its effects on human health. Quite obviously, we cannot abandon groundwater irrigation as it is used to water boro paddy in the dry season. We also cannot give up cultivation of MVs like BRRI Dhan-29 with very high level of yield. In case that happens probably millions will have to face starvation. Thus the choice before us is between the disease and the deaths. Those who advocate an abandonment of the cultivation of HYV rice are, in fact, suggesting cutting the head to remove the headache, or accepting death to remove the disease.

In this age of modern science, especially when advanced science and cutting edge technologies are used to achieve and sustain food security and food safety, one needs to be far-sighted rather than frightened. In my last column, I mentioned how two Bangladeshi scientists have been working at IRRI to develop technologies for adverse environments. Mr. Iftekhar has succeeded in infusing submergence tolerant gene (Sub 1) in BR-11 so that it will survive under water for up to 15 days in the flood-prone regions subjected to flash floods and poor drainage. Another scientist, Dr Rafiqul Islam, has just received his Ph.D degree for fine mapping a gene for salt tolerance and developing rice varieties that could be grown on saline soil.

I am also hopeful that, given adequate support, rice scientists can develop high-yielding rice varieties that have the capacity to stop the transfer of As from soil to grain. In this context, given our poor research related resources, international organizations like IRRI can, and should, help us in two ways. First, by developing varieties of rice which are arsenic-resistant and second, by strengthening our national organizations like BRRI through imparting training to the scientists there.

It is being alleged that: (a) we are notoriously unresponsive to new ideas and innovative technologies and (b) we are more curative than preventive in our thoughts. While I shall rule out the first one -- as Bangladeshis have always been one of the best adopters of technology -- I dare not dismiss the second one. There were many occasions when a stitch in time could have saved us nine -- be it in politics or in economics. I think serious initiatives from now on regarding the arsenic contamination in rice should relieve us of a severe health risk that is looming large on the horizon. The decision about disease and death should be taken up immediately, before it is too late.

Abdul Bayes is Professor of Economics at Jahangirnagar University.