Study on naturally occurring minerals for the removal of arsenic from groundwater

Abstract

Water is considered to be " the life line" for every living organism. World's most great civilizations were born on bank of rivers and sea-costs. Civilizations crumbled when water supplies failed or were poorly managed. Water resource is an essential ingredient for human survival as well as for their socio-economic development. Population growth, advances in agriculture, urbanisation and industrialisation made water an interesting subject of the century. Groundwater is of special importance and interest in the development and improvement of agriculture and is of great significance in the economic uplift of the rural community. Growth of population and resultant rise in poverty led to over utilisation of water resources. Over exploitation of groundwater causes disturbance of the state of equilibrium of the reservoir, resulting in lowering of water table, decreased pressure in the aquifers which disturbs the hydrological cycle, triggering several environmental impacts. Disposal of human, industrial and mining wastes, effluents, agricultural runoffs, deteriorate the groundwater quality by contaminating it with toxic and hazardous substances.