By Abdul Bhatti | Project Leader
Twelve million people in Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Delta face serious long-term health risks from the harmful substance arsenic, in their drinking water.
The study, led by the University of Portsmouth, analysed national screening data from nearly 124,000 wells and found that 71 per cent exceed safe drinking water limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO), threatening the country's goal of providing safe water for all by 2030.
Published in GeoHealth, the study draws on 81 water samples collected across a 170- kilometre stretch of the delta to examine where and why arsenic contamination occurs. This data was used to build a predictive model that identifies landscape features associated with arsenic hotspots.
The study found that only 8 per cent of wells in Myanmar exceed the national safety limit of 50 micrograms per litre, yet a much larger proportion surpasses the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 10 micrograms per litre. This indicates that many communities are using water considered safe under national standards yet still face elevated long-term health risks under international benchmarks.
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