ARSENIC TESTING

Early in our assessment of the quality of ground water RDI discovered high levels of naturally occurring arsenic in water all over Cambodia.  Testing wells and mapping their coordinates is a crucial part of understanding and combating this phenomenon.

Because the true extent of the situation is still not known RDI has  made an agreement with the government to help address this major health concern in the country. 

RDI now runs the leading laboratory in Cambodia for arsenic, virus, and bacteria research.  Partnerships with some of the most prestigious US Universities allows the RDI labs to continue to be at the forefront of research and risk assessment.

Meanwhile, education is key.  No amount of awareness of the problem will help unless tangible and relevant education is taking place. RDI has developed music, video, and puppet story media education programs that teach adults and children about the dangers of arsenic and how to avoid it.   

Through live puppet presentations in area schools and distribution of topical karaoke VCDs and infotainment videos into the local marketplace RDI reaches hundreds of thousands of Cambodians. 

RDI continues to seek new partnerships in an attempt to hasten the research and bring healthy living conditions to the people of Cambodia.

 RDI has been invited to do research in every province of Cambodia.  RDI hopes  to inspire and train up a new generation of Cambodian scientists, and uses local students in most of it's research.

Downloadable Reports:

• Arsenic Contamination Report in partnership with RDI, Stanford University and Boise State University GSA2005new.pdf

• Report on an arsenic mitigations project  that RDI began in January of 2004. arsenic report.doc

• Early Warning of Hazardous Arsenic Exposure in partnership with University of Manchester. polya.pdf

Arsenic field testing equipment acquired by RDI from a generous donation.  Donations like these insure that RDI can continue research and further attract and train young Cambodian scientists.

An Arsenic Problem   

     Chronic exposure to arsenic at low levels has a pronounced impact on human health.  It has been linked to a wide range of health effects including: cancer of the skin and internal organs, increased incidence of respiratory disease, mental slowness, hearing loss in children, lowered birth weights in babies, impaired skin sensation and more.  Those who are at greatest risk to arsenic related problems are children.  We can protect children only by early detection and by taking corrective measures.  The damage caused by arsenic exposure is irreversible. 

     Arsenic found in ground water is not uncommon in Asia.  China, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Thailand are all know to have arsenic problems.  Naturally occurring settlements associated with the Halocene period come into contact with aquifers causing contaminations of ground water.  

The Arsenic Risk Assessment Project

     The World Health Organization in 1999 did a very general water quality survey for the country of Cambodia.  The survey was very limited with approximately 100 samples taken from 13 provinces.  The survey did however yield some results, which suggested further testing was needed.  Our organization received information from the testing in 2000 from the Ministry of Rural Development.  We were alarmed to learn that some very high levels of Arsenic were detected especially from those samples taken from Kandal Province.  

      RDI responded in 2000 with a survey in all districts of Kandal Province with samples numbering more than more than 1,000 water points mainly tube wells.  Results of this testing allowed RDI to concentrate it efforts on the most severely impacted areas.  The district of Kien Svay which contains hundreds of wells which have 50   times the acceptable level of arsenic allowed by the World Health Organizations guidelines.

     RDI is coordinating it's efforts with the Ministry of Rural Development and Unicef to test every well in Kandal Province. 

The effects of arsenic poisoning on children is also being examined by the RDI labs.

      RDI assisted in a clinical survey of more than 1,400 families in the Kien Svay district.  Fortunately no serious cases of arsenicosis were diagnosed.  We believe this will soon change unless action is taken quickly to provide alternative water supplies. The general opinion that well water tastes bad has thus far protected people from arsenic exposure.        

      The demand caused by growing population and the increased availability of tube wells is quickly changing the current situation.

     RDI would like to greatly expand its current water survey of Kandal Province.  Kandal Province is one the most densely populated provinces in Cambodia and continued growth is expected.   RDI has already surveyed more than 4,500 wells and would like to test 15,000 plus throughout the province.  RDI  is mapping out the data using GIS which is an important part of the work.  Mapping allows us to better understand where and why arsenic is being released and possibly contribute to the prevention of it's spread by improved land management.  RDI would also like to develop more educational tools in order to alert people to the dangers of arsenic.  These educational tools would include materials for schools, public service announcements for TV and radio.  Education will be the key to preventing a major health problem in the future.  

The RDI karaoke truck goes into neighborhoods and villages to teach catchy educational songs to children and adults about clean drinking water.