A Comprehensive Review on Groundwater Contamination by Heavy Metals in Bangladesh

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-884-4_38How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Groundwater; Heavy Metal; Contamination; Water Quality; Health

Abstract

Groundwater, a crucial source of freshwater and irrigation water supply in Bangladesh, faces severe heavy metal contamination from natural and anthropogenic sources. This review underscores the widespread presence of arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium, and other heavy metals in Bangladesh’s groundwater. Major sources of these heavy metals include natural geological processes, industrial activities, and agricultural practices, with the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta contributing to sedimentary deposits rich in heavy metals. Anthropogenic factors, such as inadequate waste disposal and industrial runoff, aggravate the issue. The paper also explores the potential impacts on human health, agriculture, and the environment, stressing the need for urgent, comprehensive strategies to tackle these concerns. The review also suggests potential remedial measures and technologies such as Permeable Reactive Barriers, bio-remediation, phytoremediation, and geostatistical approaches. However, severe challenges in policy implementation persist which is accompanied by resource inadequacy, infrastructure gaps, and the need for technological advancements. Existing legislation, such as the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act and National Drinking Water Quality Standards, aims to address these concerns, yet implementation barriers remain. In conclusion, the review emphasizes the imperative for targeted mitigation strategies, improved regulations, and heightened awareness to protect public health, agriculture, and the environment. Identified research gaps and challenges provide valuable insights for future studies and policy interventions in addressing this critical issue.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - S. M. A. Hossain
AU  - W. Ahmed
AU  - S. A. Tanim
AU  - I. Ahmad
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/11/18
TI  - A Comprehensive Review on Groundwater Contamination by Heavy Metals in Bangladesh
BT  - Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Engineering Research, Innovation, and Education 2025 (ICERIE 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 316
EP  - 323
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-884-4_38
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-884-4_38
ID  - Hossain2025
ER  -