ReviewHuman health implications, risk assessment and remediation of As-contaminated water: A critical review

•Arsenic is recognized as a Class-A human carcinogen.•Groundwater As contamination has affected over 200 million people worldwide.•This paper reviews current knowledge regarding As in the environment.•A critical assessment of remediation of contaminated water is presented.

Arsenic (As) is a naturally occurring metalloid and Class-A human carcinogen. Exposure to As via direct intake of As-contaminated water or ingestion of As-contaminated edible crops is considered a life threatening problem around the globe. Arsenic-laced drinking water has affected the lives of over 200 million people in 105 countries worldwide. Limited data are available on various health risk assessment models/frameworks used to predict carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health effects caused by As-contaminated water. Therefore, this discussion highlights the need for future research focusing on human health risk assessment of individual As species (both organic and inorganic) present in As-contaminated water. Various conventional and latest technologies for remediation of As-contaminated water are also reviewed along with a discussion of the fate of As-loaded waste and sludge.

Graphical abstractDownload high-res image (180KB)Download full-size image