Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater: A Review of Sources, Prevalence, Health Risks, and Strategies for Mitigation

Table 1

Status of As contamination in natural groundwater in various countries.

Serial number	Country	Region	Groundwater As level (ppb)	Permissible; limit (ppb)	References
1	Afghanistan	Ghazni	10–500	10 (WHO)	[21]
2	Australia	Victoria (around the gold-mining regions)	1–12 (Groundwater); 1–73 (Drinking-water); 1–220 (Surface water)	—	[17, 21, 216]
3	Bangladesh	Noakhali	<1–4730	50 (WHO)	[18, 21, 217]
4	Brazil	Minas Gerais; (Southeastern Brazil)	0.4–350; (Surface water)	10 (WHO)	[17, 216, 218]
5	Cambodia	Prey Veng and Kandal-Mekong delta	Up to 900; 1–1610	10 (WHO)	[20, 21]
6	Canada	Nova Scotia; (Halifax county)	1.5–738.8	10 (WHO)	[17, 21]
7	China	—	50–4440	50 (WHO)	[219]
8	Finland	Southwest Finland	17–980	10 (WHO)	[17, 216, 218]
9	Greece	Fairbanks; (mine tailings)	Up to 10,000	10 (WHO)	[1, 21]
10	India	West Bengal; Uttar Pradesh	10–3200	50 (WHO)	[1, 21, 216, 220, 221]
11	Japan	Fukuoka Prefecture; (southern region)	1–293	10 (WHO)	[17, 216]
12	Mexico	Lagunera	8–620	25	[1, 21, 216]
13	Nepal	Rupandehi	Up to 2620	50	[21, 219, 222]
14	Pakistan	Muzaffargarh; (southwestern Punjab)	Up to 906	50	[17, 22, 216]
15	Taiwan	—	10–1820	10 (WHO)	[1, 21, 216]
16	Thailand	Ron Phibun	1–>5000	10 (WHO)	[1, 21, 216]
17	USA	Tulare Lake	Up to 2600	10 (USEPA)	[21, 24, 223]
18	Vietnam	Red River Delta; (Northern Vietnam); Mekong Delta; (Southern Vietnam)	<1–3050	10 (WHO)	[1, 219]